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A farewell to man's best friend

By Airman 1st Class Apryl Hall, Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs / Published February 24, 2014

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MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- "Ben is the real deal."

Those are the words that stood out to Tech. Sgt. Theopolis Toliver, 5th Security Forces Squadron handler, when he looked at the file on his new canine companion upon arriving at Minot Air Force Base in 2010.

Toliver learned what this meant on his first meeting with Military Working Dog Ben.

"There he was gnawing at the cage, blood coming out of his mouth, cage is all mangled," Toliver said. "I was just like, 'Oh boy, this is my dog?' It was very nerve-racking."

Toliver and Ben's relationship over the next three years was a rollercoaster ride.

One of Toliver's most memorable moments with Ben was about four months into their training when they were entering the main gate to base and Ben would not stop barking at the gate guards. After turning around and giving Ben a verbal warning, the stubborn canine acted out by charging the headrest of Toliver's seat. When Toliver pulled over to reprimand Ben, he quickly had a change of heart.

"There Ben was like 'Oh, hey dad!,' licked my face, and everything was good," Toliver said.

Another notable Ben moment was during country singer Scotty McCreery's visit to base in the summer of 2013. McCreery and his entourage were able to visit the dog kennels and received a MWD demonstration. Ben had a reputation that preceded him, as the first thing McCreery asked upon arriving at the kennel was where Ben was, Toliver said.

"Ben had that presence across base," Toliver said. "Obviously, across the world as well."

After returning from the Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Toliver noticed that something was not right with Ben, he said. Ben's back legs were giving out on him and his cognitive function was faltering during detection exercises. After going through the adoption eligibility process, Toliver was given the disheartening news that Ben had not passed and was not able to be adopted.

"It hit me really hard that I couldn't take Ben home," Toliver said. "So he could enjoy the civilian life."

After five-and-a-half years of service in the United States Air Force, Ben was officially retired Feb. 19, 2014.

"Ben came here ready to serve honorably, and that's exactly what he did," said Capt. Marc Stanco, 5th Security Forces operations officer. "Ben endured long, cold purges, hours on the flightline during generations and stood side-by-side our defenders at the gates in negative 25 degrees to protect all of us."

Before awarding Ben with his meritorious service medal at the ceremony, Stanco spoke about just how special the bond between defenders and MWDs is.

"The relationship between the handler and his canine is extremely unique," Stanco said. "I don't believe there's any other relationship in the military that can really compare to that. To each and every day place your life in someone else's hands, or in this case paws, and have the upmost confidence that you will not only get the mission accomplished, but save lives in the process is just an extraordinary feat."

Ben left an impression on everyone who met him. Whether it was a stranger's brief passing with him at a base event or a true friendship like that of him and his handler's, the infamously tenacious canine will forever be remembered at Minot AFB.

"Ben, he's definitely the real deal," Toliver said. "He's my friend, my brother, and I'm going to miss him."
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