HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — K-9 Officer Rex, the German shorthaired pointer, and his handler, Airport Police Officer II Robert J. Umadhay, had a good run, but the time has come for Rex to just be a dog.
In the nearly eight years that Rex used his highly trained sniffer to protect travelers at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority and others within the community, his good work brought distinction to the airport, the airport agency announced recently in a press release.
“The team of K-9 Officer Rex and Officer Umadhay brought distinction to the (Guam International Airport Authority) in 2017 when they were chosen to provide explosive detection and augment the security detail for Super Bowl 51 in Houston, Texas, and again for the 2018 Super Bowl 52 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. K-9 teams from units across the country were selected for the TSA-funded security detail. Two of the GIAA’s K-9 teams had been specifically requested, as they had received superlative marks in their initial and recurrent (Transportation Security Administration National Explosives Detection Team Program) training. They also have augmented the security detail for various congressional delegation visits to Guam and were a critical security component when Guam hosted the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture in 2016,” the airport authority said in the release.
Rex and his handler were trained, certified and recertified by the TSA NEDTP at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, according to the release.
GIAA Executive Manager John Quinata said there are five remaining K-9 teams that the airport trains to uphold TSA requirements.
“Our K-9 teams actively protect the millions of passengers that use the Guam airport and the over 3,400 airline, tenant and GIAA employees who come to work every single day. The K-9 teams are not only vital to our daily operations, but also assist in bomb sweeps, ensuring our island schools’ safety when bomb threats are called in. And they are by far one of our most requested sections for community outreach as active demonstrators to the hundreds of schoolchildren who tour the airport and as presenters supporting various school career day programs,” Quinata said in the release.
Rex’s last day is March 15. Quinata said Rex’s replacement will be trained in the coming months.
Airport Police K-9 Officer Rex and his handler, Airport Police Officer II Robert J Umadhay, stand for a photo. Rex will retire after eight years of service at the airport.
