FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
Warrior of the Week: Sgt. Nathan Allen Arriaga
Deployed unit: D Company, 1/66th 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
Deployed duty title: Specialized Search Dog Handler
Home unit: 221st Military Police Detachment, 733d Security Forces Squadron
How long have you been in the Army? 6 years active-duty
Describe what you do as part of your deployed job and the tools you use to complete your job successfully: My mission is to be teamed up with my battle buddy, Zzarr, a specialized search military working dog, and provide support to the big mission in Afghanistan by being tasked out as an enabler for the infantry. Zzarr and I go out on patrols day or night, and provide support by conducting searches for manufactured explosives, weapons caches, explosive making materials, as well as homemade explosives most commonly found in our region. The difference between this deployment and my last deployment is like comparing apples and oranges. Having a dog to work with every minute of every day is a no-brainer and by far the greatest decision I have ever made in my career.
How do the capabilities of your career field contribute to the deployed mission?: We provide a dramatic impact on today's fight. It was said best by Gen. [David] Petraeus, [commander, U.S. Army Central Command], "There is no machine out there that can accomplish what these dogs can." Zzarr's abilities have already proven our hard work successful in combat as we have already retrieved explosives based on his abilities. In turn, we're ultimately saving lives one find at a time. We work off-leash using hand and arm signals, providing a safe distance between a possible device and myself as well as my element that I'm working with.
What are you overall thoughts and opinions about your mission there?: Some people look at my job as one of those things to just have a dog with you on deployment, but it's more than that. It's all about implementing both of our abilities together and doing what we were both trained to do, and that's to save lives by getting the harmful materials off the streets. As long as we have troops on the ground and the enemy places explosives out there, there will continue to be a need for us. We are the buffer to make things a little easier on the units we work for, so they can focus on their task at hand.
Supervisor comments: Sergeant Arriaga was selected for this particular mission because he is resourceful and optimistic. He has been working alongside U.S. Special forces in a remote post in Afghanistan. Together with Zzarr, Sergeant Arriaga is valuable asset that many units do not have downrange -- Capt. Samuel Arnett, commander, 221st Military Police Detachment, 733d SFS, Fort Eustis.