Introducing Nick the Dog
Alright, all my Department of Defense (DoD) people. You are going to recognize this picture. It is of a six-year-old German Shepherd, a military working dog Nick. Nick works with the 2nd Military Police Detachment at Fort Meade, Maryland.
Nick is one of six patrol explosive detection Military Working Dogs at Fort Meade.
“The 2nd MP Detachment (MWD) stands ready to deploy in support of contingency operations throughout the world but operate daily in the Military District of Washington footprint,” said Kennel Master Sgt. 1st Class Jon R. Silvey. “The MWD teams are a force-multiplier that handle a variety of mission taskings from numerous agencies that include the Fort Meade Department of Emergency Services, local unit commanders, United States Secret Service, and the U.S. State Department, upon request.”
Nick is the image for the background of the U.S. Department of Defense Global Directory login page. Every DoD employee sees Nick at least once every day they are working on Unclassified DoD computers. Yes, Nick is the best boy, wearing Rexspecs v2 goggles in the photo that was taken in May of 2020, when Nick was with the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.
Nick’s handler is U.S. Army Spc. Joe Lane, a native of Millis, Massachusetts, and a graduate of Archbishop Williams High School, Lane chose to serve in the Army because he wanted to work in law enforcement. Lane said he hopes to serve with the Massachusetts State Troopers or a local sheriff’s department when he completes his Army service.
As much of a badass Nick is, he isn’t without his quirks, like he does not like water. According to his handler, “He never liked water and would avoid puddles at all costs. When teaching him new commands, he would pick them up very fast. Nick was very loyal and obedient to me but would crave attention from anyone he thought was a friend.”
Sadly Specialist Lane received orders to Camp Walker in U.S. Army Garrison Daegu, South Korea, where he serves as the handler for Military Working Dog Dubai, a Belgian Malinois who specializes in drug detection.
ane said seeing Nick every day on the Global Directory brings back good memories of the work they did together to defend the nation and its warfighters.
“When I see him, I do miss him dearly,” said Lane. “We were a great team, and I had a lot of fun working and training with him. I do, however, realize he is in capable hands back at Fort Meade. I know they are treating him well.”