OCTOBER 31, 2025 – Inside numerous walls, behind multiple doors, and protected by layers of various security measures, sits $3.5 million worth of seized narcotics from the Drug Enforcement Administration, stored in the Joint Military Working Dog Laboratory (JMWDL), within the Forensic Toxicology department of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES).
Here, four members from three branches of service are charged with the upkeep and accounting of these extremely serious substances. Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine are weighed, packaged and distributed to ensure that military working dog handlers can continue to train with their canines, year-round. Roughly $1.5 million worth of this grand total is sent worldwide to 162 MWD kennels throughout the Department of Defense, with some training aids reaching up to $1,000 each.
Each of these 162 kennels receives numerous training aids in varying quantities. The narcotics are packaged in aluminum tins with filters that allow the canines to detect the narcotics inside. These tins, however, are fragile and are subject to rigorous environments and scenarios.
“These training aids get put through the ringer,” explains U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brandon Trapani, AFMES JMWDL Security Forces manager. “They’re out in the weather, they’ve been run over. I’ve seen them accidentally dropped into oil pans during a motor pool, and all of that takes time and money because we have to recall them, account for them, then package and ship new ones so that kennel can continue to train. The entire process is time and money.”
Because of the hefty cost and sensitive contents of these devices, it can lead some handlers to be cautious of training in certain environments that would otherwise be beneficial for the canines.
“My impression after talking with the dog handlers is, because they understand, rightfully, the narcotics’ training aid is so sensitive, they’re nervous about taking it out and training with it, so, they don’t go training with it,” says U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Corey Fugate, Forensic Toxicology laboratory chief. “We want to give them something that is going to provide protection [for the tin] at a low cost, so, if it breaks, it’s not a big deal.”
For the past year, the JMWDL along with Lt. Cmdr. Fugate have been working towards a means to protect these tins from sustained damage, which, ideally, will lead to fewer incidents while lowering costs. The lab has already developed several iterations of a 3D printed casing, which they are calling a Narcotics Printed Protection Enclosure (NPPE), that not only offers greater protection but has the potential to expand training possibilities.
“I would say one of the big things that has changed from the first iteration to what they’re pushing out now is the size,” describes U.S. Tech. Sgt. Juan Salinas, 436th Security Forces Military Working Dog kennel manager, who helped develop the original prototype. “The original one was very bulky, tough to get into tight spaces, whereas the new ones, can be placed in more advantageous spots.”
Not only are the newest models smaller, but the lab is continuously working to make other improvements.
“We’ve recently started to incorporate stronger magnets,” explains Trapani. “And based on some of the feedback we’ve received, we also added grooves to the exterior, so it’s easier to open and close. We are continuing to change the ways in which the odor can permeate out of the top, and now the bottom as well. We’ve worked with different types of material, just to make sure there’s no crossover with scent contamination, ensuring that whatever material we utilize, whether it’s PLA or ALA, it doesn’t put off any odor that would change the way the dogs react to the actual narcotics. Basically, we’re trying to make it more user friendly and a tool that the handlers are going to want to utilize.”
All these improvements help emulate real-world scenarios, leading to increased and more realistic training.
“With the new device, handlers are going to be able to go out in wet or snowy conditions and train,” says Staff Sgt. Craig Green, AFMES JMWDL technician. “It has stronger magnets on the bottom. So now they can place it in a wider variety of places, which is huge. It adds that extra layer of protection and innovation which is only going to enhance training capabilities.”
These developments also help give the kennels and their handlers piece of mind, knowing that they can conduct their training without having to worry about damaging the aids inside the NPPEs.
“We’ve created them in such a way that if they get bit by a dog or run over, it will maintain the actual integrity of the narcotics inside, that’s the end goal,” explains Trapani. “If something happens to the actual enclosure [the NPPE] and it has to be disposed of, it’s not going to be the end of the world, because it’s much cheaper to replace those than it is the narcotics; we’re talking less than $10 for one of these NPPEs, over the millions of dollars of narcotics in the field. Ideally, the trainers won’t have to worry about actually keeping the training aid safe and can actually train, because anytime you’re out training the dogs as a working dog handler, and as a trainer, that’s a good day.”
But the JMWDL isn’t stopping at just the NPPEs. They have visions of a more professional, polished look for the training aids as a whole, making for a more streamlined, quality product.
“The next step, hopefully, is laser engraving,” says Trapani. “We’ve had a test batch that we’d like to put a few things on the tin, including an ‘if found’ message that says ‘please, call your local law enforcement agency’ etc., so, you know, if someone were to lose one of these, at least there would be instructions on what to do.”
For now, the JMWDL is working with Lt. Cmdr. Fugate to find ways of securing funding for the project.
“We have a great framework,” says Fugate. “We can pitch our idea and say, ‘here’s our proposal for $20,000, this is what is what you will be purchasing.’ The goal, optimistically, is to get three hobby grade 3D printers, in house, at the end of this fiscal year and then start pushing the training aids out to a broader pool. Until then, we’re going to continue to work with our local kennels, to refine the training enclosure. That way, even if we’re not in production mode a year from now, we at least have a really well refined prototype. So that when we have secured funding, we can say, ‘we have gone through 15 iterations of this, we have sent these out to six different kennels, we’ve received their feedback, we’re now ready to send these out to 50 kennels and get their feedback before we send them out to all 162.’”
Once they have the green light, the lab is hoping to not only push the NPPE to every DoD kennel but hopes to push the idea further, out to other agencies.
“So, this is all done in CAD, which is the software for the 3D printer,” explains Trapani. “This is all open source, and if there comes a time where another agency or federal entity wants to utilize these, we’re going to be able to provide the blueprints to them for this prototype. I mean, my primary hope, is to just see these out in the field. It’s really good to see the advancements that have been made with it but we’re at this point now where we need to start thinking about funding and mass producing.”
Ultimately, the JMWDL is looking to disperse 1,000 of the NPPEs force-wide. It is estimated that all of these efforts, will ultimately save time, manpower, and money annually.
“Since I’ve been here, we have recalled 158 damaged training aids that are completely unusable,” says U.S. Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman Edinmel Balterocruz, AFMES JMWDL program manager. We also have to think about the shipping cost, materials, man-hours on both AFMES and the kennels, as well as the possible safety concern of exposure. With the enclosure we are developing, all of these damages could have been prevented. Our containers are developed to address this.”
“We’ve estimated $110,000 per year is what would be saved,” says Green. “And at $10 apiece for one thousand of them force-wide, hopefully, once everybody has one, that will eliminate how much we have to recall and replace.”
The JMWDL and those associated with the project are extremely proud of their achievements so far and hope to see their product in the field one day.
“I’m proud of how far it’s come,” says Trapani. “It’s cool, in a joint environment, where we’ve got Navy, Army, Air Force, Lab Techs and Security Forces coming together on this one project. And, to see where it’s come from as an idea, to us having a 3D printed tool. It’s been a great experience.”
Story by Staff Sgt. Noah Coger
Armed Forces Medical Examiner System