78th SFS canine laid to rest Published Sept. 9, 2011 By By 78th Security Forces Squadron ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The 78th Security Forces Squadron's Military Working Dog Section recently lost one its valued members. Torca, a 9-year-old Belgian Malinois, assigned to the MWD section, was euthanized Aug. 25 due to medical reasons. Torca began his career at Robins in October 2004; he was a dual- trained dog proficient in both narcotics detection and patrol tactics. "Torca was our go-to dog when it came to conducting demonstrations," said Tech. Sgt. Keith Wozniak, 78th SFS kennel master. "He would hit you like a runaway truck during the apprehension part, which always excited the crowd." MWDs assigned to Robins are used for narcotic, explosive and patrol detection and perform missions around the globe for the Department of Defense. "It's just the handler and his dog when we deploy in support of our nation," said Wozniak. "You bond with these dogs as you would bond with your family; its hard losing such a vital member of the Robins team." Torca's time here spanned 12 different handlers, with whom he conducted 80 working dog demos and spent more than 1,000 hours performing inspections at the base gates. Torca was instrumental while deployed twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom; he was credited with 40 narcotic finds, which led to the expulsion of 30 local nationals from forward bases. He was also credited with six narcotic finds at Robins that led to a 100 percent conviction rate. The MWD section spent its final day with Torca playing and letting him just be a dog, reflecting on his impact to the Robins team. The section removed Torcas' name off his kennel the following day. "It was a painful event knowing this defender was no longer around," said Wozniak. "Goodbye Torca; thank you for being such a trusted team member of Robins."