After many successful years on the job, there is just no slowdown in this pup! Meet MSA Security® Explosive Detection Canine Milo. His handler, Erik Georgi, is proud to work alongside the eight-year-old black Labrador who he says consistently impresses him with boundless stamina and passion for their work.
The pair have been partners for five years and maintain an extremely active deployment schedule. Most of their work is centered within the buzzing City of Lights known as Las Vegas, NV. Although, this team also assumed important assignments in several other states last year, including Colorado, Utah, Florida and Pennsylvania. “Milo is always up for the next
adventure and is a great travel companion. His ability to pivot between various site pictures is a credit to his intelligence, skill and experience,” explains Erik.
One of MSA’s more than 900 Detection Teams, Erik and Milo completed MSA’s Canine Detection Training Program in Memphis, TN, at one of the company’s many regional training facilities. They were trained on all five families of commercial explosives, as well as homemade explosives, and are consistently validated through testing and certification on nationally recognized NAPWDA standards. The team is also a MSA Firearms Detection Canine Team completing comprehensive training and imprintation to detect a range of additional odors specifically associated with firearms, whether previously fired or static. And if that wasn’t enough for this overachiever, Milo is also one of the hundreds of MSA EDC Canines screening cargo for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Third-Party Canine (3PK9) Program, working a regular deployment in Vegas for an international shipper.
Milo is a proven powerhouse in the security field with an incredible nose for odor. To help maintain a high level of motivation and proficiency, Erik trains Milo daily. Interestingly, unlike the other Labradors in MSA’s fleet who train on food reward, Milo is a toy-reward canine. “Whether in training or a real-life scenario, Milo’s reward for “sitting” on odor is a toy. He never gets tired of tennis balls or his favorite KONG®,” says Erik.
Erik served eight years with the U.S. Marine Corps. During his first four years as an Aviation Ordnance Equipment Repair Technician, Erik was responsible for the accounting, stowage, testing, maintenance and transportation of airborne armament equipment. The second four years carried an entirely different MOS. As a blackbelt Martial Arts Instructor, Erik helped to train and certify fellow Marines through the tan, gray and green belt levels of this form of combat. “I am grateful to have served the nation as a Marine,” says Erik. “I appreciate that all MSA handlers are drawn from military and law enforcement. There is a very high level of discipline here working in collaboration with dedicated professionals who are accountable for a collective mission.”
Despite a love for service, these two do enjoy their downtime – and in sunny Las Vegas, there is
always an outdoor space or park that provides the perfect backdrop for a game of fetch. Look who’s tagging along … it’s Erik’s retired bomb dog and Milo’s bestie, Ike!
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