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Keesler MWD handler chosen for 'Portraits in Courage'

  • Published
  • By Susan Griggs
  • 81st Training Wing Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  In the nightmare of bullets racing past his head and rounds impacting in front of him, Staff Sgt. Christopher Jarrell focused on a symphony ... not Beethoven or Bach, but the harmony of a warrior and his dog facing the enemy together.

Jarrell, a military working dog handler from the 81st Security Forces Squadron, was one of 20 Airmen recognized Aug. 19 to be featured in the seventh volume of the Air Force Chief of Staff's "Portraits in Courage." Jarrell was one of five "Portraits in Courage" recipients chosen to participate in sporting events, special tours, a heroes' luncheon and other activities during Air Force Week, Aug. 19-21 in New York City.

Jarrell, who arrived at Keesler in March 2011, was deployed from September through February to Afghanistan with Toki, his 4-year-old German shepherd partner. The job required frequent duties "outside the wire."

"Keesler has one of the most combat-proven kennels I've ever worked in," said Jarrell, who's been a dog handler for six years. "Toki is probably the best dog I've ever teamed with. Working with Toki was like a concert, with all of the instruments blending together.

"I can honestly say that's why Toki and I came back from Afghanistan unharmed for the most part," Jarrell stated. "When he goes out and finds those (improvised explosive devices), he knows that's his job, he does what he's supposed to do and protects 'Daddy.' I tried to show Toki that same devotion."

Nov. 21, 2011, while assigned to the U.S. Army 3-71 Cavalry in the village of Rangrazan, Jarrell and his platoon came under direct fire from an unknown number of Taliban fighters.

"One minute I'm sitting in the middle of this field breaking into my lunch and giving Toki some attention because we had pretty much been walking all day," Jarrell remembered. "The next minute, bullets were flying past our heads and rounds were impacting in front of us. It was chaos, hell on earth."

Jarrell, Toki and four Soldiers were pinned down by sniper and machine gun fire and separated from the rest of their platoon for about 45 minutes during a firefight that lasted more than three hours.

"Afghanistan is one big minefield," Jarrell explained. "You're always thinking ... did we clear the path to get up here? Every step you take, you're watching, thinking, second-guessing. Is this step going to be it? Is this going to be it? That comes from the subconscious, and you have to push it away."

When Jarrell began his Air Force career 10 years ago, he admits that he questioned the necessity of technical school exercises like the rush-and-roll, tactical bounding techniques and overwatches.

"As a trainee, you wonder if you'll ever use any of it," he admitted. "But when you find yourself in a firefight and use those skills that our leadership has ingrained in us, it's like muscle memory. You don't even realize what you're doing. Canine leads the way - it's what we're trained to do instinctively.

"It's like football - like learning pages out of a playbook. You run the plays over and over again and when game time comes, you're ready. When your adrenaline is pumping and bullets are flying past you, that survival instinct kicks in."

When they made their way back to the rest of the platoon, Jarrell immediately provided suppressive fire that allowed other U.S. forces to recover those wounded or killed in action and move back to safety.

As U.S. forces prepared to evacuate the casualties, the platoon leader realized that two Army AH-64 Apache helicopters and half of his Soldiers were out of ammunition. To make things worse, the platoon's mine-detection equipment operator didn't have the necessary equipment to clear a route because he'd been forced to leave it in the field where they'd been pinned down.

Jarrell stepped up and put Toki on mine-sniffing duties. During their sweep, Jarrell and Toki detected and marked a possible IED, allowing the platoon to clear a safe landing zone for casualty evacuation and resupply operations.

"It wasn't my first firefight, but it's the first time I thought that if I got out alive, it was going to be one of those 'God saved me' stories," he pointed out. "There's no other way to explain it ... it was a miracle."

Army intelligence later reported that 14 enemy insurgents, including the regional commander, had been killed during the engagement.

Jarrell's courage under fire was credited with keeping a precarious situation from deteriorating and directly contributed to saving the lives of several service members. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Force Combat Action Medal and the Army Combat Action Badge for his actions. At first he was very uncomfortable in the spotlight, but now he can direct that spotlight as a public service to show what it takes to get the mission done.

"They recognized me for my actions out there, but I wasn't the only one," Jarrell insisted. "It gave me a sense of pride to know that I could perform at that level - but man, I don't want to see myself there again."

Not long ago, Jarrell began seeing a counselor to help deal with the panic attacks that have affected him since he returned from deployment.

"Canine tends to be an 'alpha male' career field and I had to get over the perceived stigma of reaching out for help," he pointed out. "My family and friends wanted me to talk to somebody, but I thought I could handle things on my own."

It's hard to predict what will trigger one of the attacks - even crowds at the base exchange or social situations are sometimes hard to handle.

Jarrell is glad that he sought help and wants other handlers to understand that something they may think is abnormal is really normal.

"It's going to be a long road to recovery, but I've taken that first step," he added. "Our commander, Maj. Matt Pignataro, is one of the best commanders I've ever had. He sits down with us one on one, gives us tremendous support and lets us know he's proud of us. He took the time to give us a 'fit check' and makes sure we have the time and help we need to reintegrate. But the mission still takes priority and we understand that - we can be tasked at any moment to pick up a dog and go."

"Sergeant Jarrell is a great example of how the Air Force's military working dog handlers have collectively risen to new levels of combat expertise during the past decade," Pignataro said. "He's a quiet professional who would never brag about his accomplishments. I'm very proud to have him and the rest of our experienced MWD handlers as part of our squadron."

Jarrell is on the fence about whether to continue his Air Force career when his enlistment is up in two years. He remembers the close calls in Afghanistan as he looks to the future with his wife, Dani, and the child they're expecting.

Earlier this year, Jarrell became Keesler's kennel master and had to step back so Toki and his new handler could bond. That new canine team is currently deployed to Southwest Asia.

"It's part of our career progression --- I'll pin on tech sergeant this fall," he observed. "Folks move on, new handlers move in, older guys tend to get pushed out of canine. It's good to make rank, but sometimes it hurts to move on. My days of pushing dogs are winding down. I'm coming to grips with that and trying to ease the transition for others."