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Died 9/14/21
Handler – Staff Sgt. Gage Hyer
Ever vigilant, ever loyal: Late Military Working Dog XXue honored at Scott Air Force Base
Outside the military work dogs kennel at Scott Air Force Base, the serene moments are punctured by the barking of dogs. As if they knew it was a somber occasion, silence overtakes the yard as a decoration citation is read. Where there were once eight, there are now seven. MWD XXue X322 passed away from complications of liver cancer Sept. 14 and was honored during a memorial ceremony Oct. 8. “They don’t tell you about the hard parts when you go K-9,” said Staff Sgt. Carmen Pontello, 375th Security Forces Squadron kennel master. “They tell you you’re going to get bit; you’re going to fall down; you’re going to get hurt — but, they don’t tell you you’re going to lose your best friend.” It is undeniable that interactions between humans and K-9s are unique. MWD XXue, aka ‘Mama XXue,’ and her handler, Staff Sgt. Gage Hyer, 375th SFS MWD handler, had an initial meeting that would end most friendships, but seemed to bond them together for the rest of their lives. “My first encounter with XXue was one I will never forget,” said Hyer. While serving as a decoy during bite work training, Hyer found out that XXue had an obsession with hands. “There was blood everywhere,” he said, chuckling, as he ran a finger over the scar that remains. “She stuck her canine right through my pinky. It was the very next week I was told she was going to be my partner.” Initial pairings for K-9 and their handlers is something that takes as long as it takes. It can be something that is discussed over a series of weeks, or, in the case of Hyer and XXue, something the kennel master saw at first glance. When looking to pair a team, kennel masters look at the experience and personality of the dog, as well as the handler. They try to make them blend, explained Pontello. “These dogs mean everything to us,” said Pontello. “We spend every day with these dogs, multiple hours a day of blood, sweat and tears just pouring into these dogs. They become our partners. They become that special person.”
