MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Chief Petty Officer (Select) Ashly Lester, a native of Fort Collins, Colorado, reflects on the life-changing impact Military Working Dogs have on U.S. Navy missions.
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“Military Working Dogs are important to the Navy because they act as a really good deterrent and as a force multiplier,” said Lester. “Manpower being what it is, they act as additional manpower.”
Lester joined the Navy 11 years ago and today serves as Quax’s handler.
Lester attended Rocky Mountain High School and graduated in 2009.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Fort Collins.
“My parents gave me a lot of structure because I was a bit of a wild child,” said Lester. “The way they raised me and brought me up really helped me be successful. In college, I had full-ride scholarship for track, but I didn’t take advantage of that the way I should have. I dropped out and didn’t really know what to do after that, but I knew I wanted to do something meaningful and not take anything for granted.”
Today, Lester serves as a master-at-arms.
From jumping out of planes to deploying at sea, Military Working Dogs have been serving the Armed Forces since 1942. Navy K-9 Handlers train Military Working Dogs to seek out enemies while on deployment and to be the first line of defense for their units. To maintain mission readiness, Military Working Dogs are trained year-round.
“My favorite part about being a Navy K-9 Handler is our community,” said Lester. “There are just over 300 of us in the Navy. We might not all get along and we might not all agree, but we have this one thing in common and it makes us this tight, family environment that I’m so proud of. Whether you go to Norfolk or Bahrain, you’re going to know someone.”
As a member of the Navy, Lester is part of a world-class organization focused on maintaining maritime dominance, strengthening partnerships, increasing competitive warfighting capabilities and sustaining combat-ready forces in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“In the Navy, we can transport troops, transport equipment and set ourselves up in different areas a lot more efficiently,” said Lester. “There’s a lot of water around the world and we need to be able to cover those areas to protect ourselves.”
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to trained sailors and a strong Navy.
Lester and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“My proudest achievement is coming here, opening this kennel and watching my junior sailors advance,” said Lester. “For me, it’s more rewarding to see them reach their goals. Getting promoted is great, but seeing my junior sailors be successful is even better. I love it.”
As Lester and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“For me, it goes back to why I joined, you’re serving something bigger than yourself,” added Lester. “You’re part of something bigger than yourself.”