Fax P609

MWD Fax P609 came to Vance AFB in April of 2011. His handler and soon to be fur-ever handler Gary Eyster. He was a trainer at Vance AFB and as able to drive to Lackland AFB to officially acquire MWD Fax for relocation to Vance. Eyster worked Fax for about 6 months as his first handler. Fax was an amazing narcotics detection dog from the very beginning says Eyster, and that his ability to detect narcotics was remarkable. Fax’s drive for patrol training garnered him as one of the hardest hitting MWDs in his kennel. Fax’s drive for training ultimately led to his selection to attend the 2011 Iron Dog Competition. As one of the few narcotic dogs there he did extremely well considering he was still a new MWD. Fax along with his handler were one of only a few teams to finish the Iron Dog Competition, consisting of a ruck march, self aid, buddy care, and veterinary care. Although Fax was never selected for a deployment, he played a critical role at his home station curbing any narcotic traffic on base. Before his retirement, Fax worked with 5 different handlers during his active duty time. Unfortunately due to arthritis in his hips he was no longer able to preform tasks required of a MWD. The Ester family was fortunate to be able to provide Fax with a loving home to retire to.