How Military Police Working Dogs Support Readiness in Korea

CAMP WALKER, South Korea - The bond between a military working dog and their handler extends far beyond standard training. That trust supports the work of teams from the 903rd Military Police Detachment, 94th Military Police Battalion, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, as they help uphold law enforcement across the peninsula. Whether conducting routine security checks or sweeping event sites for explosives, their mission success relies on mutual trust.

U.S. Army Spc. Eastyn Egts, 903rd Military Police Detachment, 94th Military Police Battalion, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command understands that readiness starts with knowing her teammate, Fio, a 3-year-old German shepherd, well enough to recognize a subtle change in her behavior. When the military working dog gets focused, she may have detected an odor. As a dual-trained K-9, Fio is equipped to handle two vital operations: detecting explosives and locating people.

"She's going to run around crazy, but when she's on something serious, she gets very slow and precise," Egts said.

Egts was officially assigned to Fio after arriving at Camp Walker in April 2026, but the two had met earlier at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, where they trained together for a few months.

"We clicked pretty instantly," Egts said. "She's honestly my best friend."

Building that partnership took patience. Early on, Fio sometimes broke away instead of returning to Egts during training. They worked through the issue with repetition and time spent together outside formal sessions.

"One time specifically, I called her and she actually came back to me and wanted to sit next to me," Egts said. "That's when I really saw us building our relationship."

Sgt. 1st Class Alexis Seales, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the 903rd MPD, 94th MP BN, 19th ESC considers the dogs as force multipliers for the 94th MP. Their missions range from law enforcement support and explosive sweeps to health-and-welfare checks requested by commanders.

"Overall we need to be prepared to fight tonight. We have dogs on 24/7," Seales said.

Meeting these diverse operational demands requires rigorous preparation. The teams maintain readiness through regular training and a two-step certification process. Once Seales assesses each team's proficiency, the Eighth Army Military Working Dog Manager conducts formal certification. Yet beyond these formal evaluations, Egts notes that maintaining true proficiency requires regularly returning to the fundamentals.

"Every day, you're training," Egts said. "As much as I want to advance her, it's good to sometimes go back to her foundation and make sure she's still understanding."

Fio's foundation centers on obedience and detection. Training involves marching and placement exercises where Egts points to a location, Fio runs to it, and she sits. Although Fio can rigorously search an array of training aids for explosives and signal on an odor, her controlled temperament challenges the misconception that military working dogs are always terrifying and on the attack. Egts describes Fio as calm and approachable, yet able to instantly shift into a high-drive work mode as soon as she receives her cue.

"She knows when people are nice so she can approach people. If I give her the word, she knows her training and it kicks in," Egts said. "It's something really special that I wish more people got to understand."

Seales emphasizes that the dogs are a vital part of the formation and train alongside their handlers, including during physical training.

"These dogs are Soldiers. We're with them day in and day out," Seales said. "Outside of security and protection, it adds a simple sense of comfort just knowing when you have your best friend right there with you every day."