Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth Commanding General Lt. Gen. Theodore Martin delivers remarks during the retirement ceremony for Military Working Dog Roy, handled by Spc. Gerald Leith, 67th Military Police Detachment (MWD), and MWD Lisa, handled by Spc. Sam Slobert, 67th MP Detachment (MWD), Sept. 1 in Grant Auditorium. MWD Roy was adopted by his last handler, Spc. Benjamin Bradner, 67th MP Detachment (MWD), and MWD Lisa was adopted by her last handler, Sgt. Terrel Stallings, 67th MP Detachment (MWD). Bradner and Stallings were unable to attend the ceremony due to illness. Photo by Prudence Siebert/Fort Leavenworth Lamp

Military Working Dogs Lisa and Roy, 67th Military Police Detachment (Military Working Dog), Special Troops Battalion, received Army Commendation Medals and retirement awards, completing their military service during their retirement ceremony Sept. 1 in Grant Auditorium.

Lt. Col. Mark Winker, Special Troops Battalion commander, began his remarks by thanking the battalion’s members for their service and briefly noting the history of MWDs since 1945.

“Lisa and Roy represent this rich history, and their dutiful service to all military working dogs with their combined 147 dog years of service,” Winker said.

“These dogs and their handlers are commended for a job well done. While their handlers will continue to serve, Lisa and Roy will finally get their chance to get out of a loud kennel, sleep on the coach, chew on some slippers, and drool on the clean floor of a loving home.”

Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth Commanding General Lt. Gen. Theodore Martin said that MWDs aided in the protection of his unit during deployment.

“The contributions that the military working dogs have made on the battlefield cannot be underestimated. I know that in my brigade combat team, my soldiers’ lives were saved by the awesome performance of the military working dogs in a dangerous environment,” Martin said as he explained why he thought hosting a retirement ceremony to honor each dog’s career was important.

After his remarks, Martin thanked MWDs Lisa and Roy for their service and presented them with the medals and retirement awards.

Kennel Master Staff Sgt. Hector Rodriguez, 67th MP Detachment (MWD), read the poem “The Guardians of the Night” and presented each dog with a retirement toy to end the ceremony.

According to the ceremony program, MWD Lisa was born Feb. 19, 2011, and qualified as a Patrol Explosive Detector Dog (PEDD) in March 2013 during training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. She was assigned to Fort Leavenworth, where she has served for nine years.

During her career, MWD Lisa supported Operation Freedom Sentential twice during deployments to Afghanistan and once with Multinational Force and Observers in Egypt. MWD Lisa also supported more than 40 U.S. Secret Service missions in the United States, Argentina, the United Kingdom and Qatar, protecting dignitaries such as the president of the United States, the first lady of the United States, the U.S. secretary of state, and Department of Defense joint chiefs of staff.

The program highlighted MWD Lisa’s response to a bomb threat on Fort Leavenworth in October 2020, during which she supported a response team through tactical searches in four schools on the installation. Lisa’s last assigned handler, Sgt. Terrel Stallings, 67th MP Detachment (MWD), adopted her upon her retirement.

MWD Roy was born Nov. 11, 2011, and qualified as a PEDD in November 2013 during training at Lackland Air Force Base. Upon completion of basic training in 2014, Roy was assigned to Fort Leavenworth, where he has served for eight years.

During his career, MWD Roy deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and supported more than 30 U.S. Secret Service missions in the United States, Colombia, Israel and Italy, protecting dignitaries such as the president of the United States, the first lady of the United States, the U.S. secretary of defense, the U.S. secretary of state, and Department of Defense joint chiefs of staff.

The program also noted Roy’s participation in MWD demonstrations at Kansas City Comicon, Sporting Kansas City events and alongside Kansas City Royals mascots. MWD Roy’s last assigned handler, Spc. Benjamin Bradner, 67th MP Detachment (MWD), adopted him upon his retirement.