MWD Frodo retires after nine years of service

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Members of the 66th Security Forces Squadron gathered at the Minuteman Commons here to retire Military Working Dog Frodo during a ceremony Oct. 20.

Senior Airman Ashley Korthuis, a dog handler for 66 SFS, will adopt the retiree.

“Usually there are not a lot of dogs that do retire,” she said. “When it does happen it’s a big thing because the dog lived long enough to be retired.”

Frodo has been a working dog at Hanscom since April 2010. During that time, he has had four handlers.

“Today the 66th Security Forces Military Working Dog section has the honor of retiring not only a military working dog, but a valued member of our family and our community,” said Tech. Sgt. Charles Cornacchio, a MWD handler and narrator for the event. “When we go to war, they go to war.”

During the ceremony, Maj. Brett Skates, the squadron’s commander, presented Frodo with the Meritorious Service Medal.

“For the past nine years, Frodo has been training, going to war and training for going out to do the job day-to-day,” Skates said during his remarks. “For nine years it’s been kennels or exercise yards. When we talk about selfless service, this is what it is.”

According to the medal citation, Frodo ensured the safety and security of those at Hanscom. Additionally, while deployed to Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, Frodo and his handler were on a mission when they encountered enemy forces.

“He was exposed to 1,500 rounds of automatic fire, multiple fragmentation grenades and enemy rocket-propelled grenades, earning his team the Army combat action badge,” said Staff Sgt. Dominic LaForest, a MWD handler, while reading the citation.

Other elements of the ceremony included removing the “do not pet” distinction that working dogs have, feeding him a steak – which he devoured in seconds – and providing him toys to enjoy in retirement.

Military working dogs provide a unique capability in securing the installation and the forces assigned there whether at home or while deployed.

As the only active duty Air Force base in New England, MWD teams support Department of Defense missions as well as other government agencies in the Northeast.

Earlier this year, Frodo participated in a ceremonial puck drop during a Military Night at the Warrior Ice Arena in Boston.

Frodo’s official retirement date is Sept. 21, 2017.