Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. (January 21, 2023): In this photo by Senior Airman Stephani Barge, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jordan Courtney, a K-9 handler with the 378th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, sensitizes working dog Mirco to gunfire. K-9 Defenders and their handlers are required to train together around live fire to ensure the dogs can handle the stress of combat.

Military working dogs have accompanied soldiers into battle since ancient times because of their loyalty, intelligence, and trainability. The dogs train for 90-120 days to become certified in bite work, bomb, and drug detection. According to Health.mil, over 4000 military working dogs have been injured during combat operations since 1980 and the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps has established a trauma registry to record these animal’s treatments, injuries, and deaths.

The 378th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron supports more than 2,400 Airmen and Soldiers and the U.S. Army's Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) capability in the region. Prince Sultan Air Base is a 225-square-mile installation located in the closed-city of Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia, and is surrounded by miles of empty desert.