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Luke's top dog takes on extra duties

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Melanie Holochwost
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  A 3-year-old Netherlands native joined the United States Air Force two years ago with plans to travel the world and make a better life for himself.  He has succeeded and continues to do so.

Official duty has brought one Luke Air Force Base's finest military working dogs, Chrach (pronounced Crash), to several hot spots throughout the United States, like Manhattan and Southern California. Right now, he is preparing for his first overseas deployment with his handler and best friend, Staff Sgt. Kyle Alltop, 56th Security Forces Squadron, MWD handler.

Sergeant Alltop said Chrach is his fourth and favorite partner.

"Chrach and I are like two peas in a pod," he said. "I spend more time with him than I do with my wife, even though she is nine months pregnant."

Because Chrach and Sergeant Alltop work so well together, they are often requested for high-profile temporary duty assignments involving celebrities and professional athletes.
"Our first exciting TDY was a two-week security detail in New York for the United Nations assembly," Sergeant Alltop said. "We met some very important people and Chrach's charm and good looks got us a private tour of ground zero.

"We also spent a few days in Chicago for President Obama's birthday bash. Most recently, we traveled to San Diego for a military appreciation baseball game. This was Chrach's favorite because he got to perform for thousands of people and was treated like a movie star the entire time."

When Chrach isn't busy searching for bombs or attacking "bad guys," Sergeant Alltop said he is busy doing public relations work.

"Chrach is basically an ambassador for the Air Force," he said. "We take him to schools in the community, do demonstrations for Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and pilot-for-a-day tours, and compete in K-9 competitions on and off base."

According to Brice Cavanaugh, a nationally known dog trainer and behavior specialist, Chrach is a good example of a military working dog of the future.

"Chrach is a very balanced and well-trained dog," Mr. Cavanaugh said. "Even though he is still young, he knows the difference between work and play. We definitely don't have to worry about Chrach accidently biting someone and we can get him to do just about any trick."

During his free time, Chrach loves to relax and be a normal dog.

"He loves to sit on the couch, watch television and play with his toys," Sergeant Alltop said. "He's a diva who enjoys the finer things in life, like beef jerky and lots of petting."