25th anniversary of Handlers and Military Working Dogs Company

in the attendance of present and former members of the Company and of the envoy of the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Major General Vlado Šindler, the Head of the MP Sector of the Ministry of Defence, Colonel Vlado Kovačević, the Commander of the MP Regiment Colonel Mate Radoš and representatives of units of the Ministry of Defence, the Croatian Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior.
Maj. Gen. Vlado Šindler underlined that the Military Police had continuously trained handlers and protection and search dogs, which were also engaged in the majority of the liberating operations by the Croatian Armed Forces . The Company as a recognisable unit of Mlitary Police retained its important role in the post-war period as well, particularly in international environments and co-operation.
Colonel Kovačević underlined the complex and demanding  training in the Company, which enabled the participation of its members in the liberation operations and the deployment to ISAF in Afghanistan, where they have been engaged to this day, detecting explosives and narcotics, which earned them respect from foreign forces and officials.
“The Handlers and Military Working Dogs Company boasts important successes in operation, development and training“.
Colonel Radoš said the Handlers and Military Working Dogs Company  had become a MP brand in Croatia and beyond, primarily through the efforts of its members.
Colonel Radoš also emphasised that the Company administered training for other government administration bodies (ministries, Customs Directorate) and for foreign forces (Iraqi Security Forces).
The visitors toured the accomodation facilities for the working dogs, the static display of the specialist equipment used in the training of the dogs of various purposes and observed the demonstration exercise of the handlers and MP working dogs capabilities.
Military working dogs were first used in  1992 by a MP platoon assigned to the 2nd professional brigade. The first line-up of the MP search and protection unit of the 2nd Professional Brigade was held in the Barracks “Trstenik” near Ivanja Reka in May 1992. The unit underwent several re-organisations in the Homeland War and in the post-war period, but has remained within the Military Police. In August 2000 several units were combined into a Handlers and Military Working Dogs Centre, named „“Satnik Krešimir Ivošević“ since May 2003.
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