Washington, D.C. – The signing of a new memorandum of agreement during this year’s annual conference for the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) highlights how the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) is supporting the future of the U.S. Army. The MOA signed by Provost Marshal General of the U.S. Army, Major General (MG) Duane Miller, initiated new policing and training requirements for the Army’s military working dog (MWD) program. The agreement directs that DEVCOM CBC will provide narcotics training aids, technical knowledge, and scientific expertise to all military working dogs within the Department of the Army.

DEVCOM CBC has a history of supporting Army initiatives involving canines, including the fight against COVID-19, decontamination, explosives detection, wearables and more. Throughout these interactions, the Center has been keen on identifying and focusing its efforts on the changing needs of the Army.

The MOA outlines the responsibilities of distributing the narcotics training materials and coordinating training and support for MWDs. DEVCOM CBC will be integral to the training efforts as a point of contact for training results and future enhancements. All the work DEVCOM CBC performs under this agreement will support Army priorities and provide key benefits to the Army.

The agreement will redefine the capabilities of MWDs, their handlers, and their trainers by providing greater access to training aids and intrinsic industry knowledge for the Army’s MWD teams by delivering the Center’s specialization in the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high yield Explosives (CBRNE) field. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the long-standing partnership between CBC and the Army’s MWD teams. It sets the stage for a groundbreaking initiative that will provide invaluable scientific and technical knowledge to enhance the capabilities of all MWDs. “We’re not only assessing current mission requirements, but we’re also identifying potential future threats and how that can be addressed,” said DEVCOM CBC contract scientist Jenna Gadberry. “We’ve learned that the military working dogs can detect threats at far lower levels than previously identified, so we want to continue investing in that.”

The collaboration of the scientific community and the operational capabilities of Soldiers in the field puts the Army ahead of the curve on potential CRBNE threats to enable a more proactive approach to defense. “There are so many ways to push the envelope on working dogs in the research and development area. The sky is the limit, and we believe it is a great investment because more applied science for working dogs will only enhance our military working dog teams,” said Gadberry.

The journey leading up to this agreement has been marked by tireless dedication, extensive testing, and commitment of DEVCOM CBC to provide the best possible resources to meet the needs of the Army and its canine assets. This partnership is poised to unleash a new era of effectiveness in serving our Nation’s military canines and their handlers.