Members of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office K-9 team completed aviation familiarization training with Maryland State Police Trooper 7 on December 13 at the St. Mary’s County Regional Airport hangar in Hollywood.
Deputy Joseph Senatore with K-9 Karma and Corporal Lacey Smith with K-9 Kyra participated in the session. The training covered Trooper 7’s medical and search capabilities, aviation technology supporting law enforcement, and protocols for requesting air assistance. Handlers also learned safety procedures for operations around and inside the aircraft, including exposure to its interior and medical equipment.
Both teams performed acclimation exercises, starting with the engines off and progressing to rotors spinning. The dogs were guided around the exterior and interior to adapt to confined spaces, noise, and rotor wash.
Corporal Smith and K-9 Kyra then joined a 30-minute flight aboard the AW139 helicopter. They reviewed search equipment and procedures while airborne over the Great Mills Road corridor. The aircraft landed at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown, where Kyra exited with rotors running. Handlers used positive reinforcement to build the dog’s tolerance to operational conditions.
This controlled training environment allowed the K-9s to gain confidence in helicopter operations. It strengthens interagency coordination between the Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police Aviation Command for future joint missions.
Trooper 7, part of the Southern Maryland Section, operates from the airport hangar built in 2010. The section, established in 1987, serves St. Mary’s County primarily, with backup for parts of Charles and Calvert counties and occasional Eastern Shore areas. The Maryland State Police Aviation Command maintains 10 AW139 helicopters across seven bases statewide, providing 24-hour medevac, search and rescue, and law enforcement support.
The St. Mary’s County Regional Airport, also known as Captain Walter Francis Duke Regional Airport, opened in 1969 to support general aviation and local industry near Naval Air Station Patuxent River. It hosts Trooper 7’s dedicated facilities, enabling rapid responses in rural and waterfront areas common to Southern Maryland.
K-9 aviation training exposes dogs to helicopter-specific stressors, ensuring reliability during deployments for tracking suspects, locating missing persons, or assisting in remote rescues. Such sessions involve gradual exposure and rewards to associate aircraft with positive outcomes.
The collaboration enhances response efficiency in St. Mary’s County, where terrain and waterways often require aerial assets. Trooper 7 crews include pilots and trooper flight paramedics, supporting ground units like the Sheriff’s K-9 teams in critical incidents.
The Maryland State Police Aviation Command traces its roots to 1970, evolving to multi-role operations. Trooper 7 frequently handles medevacs and searches, leveraging advanced avionics for night and instrument flight.
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office K-9 units deploy for patrol, detection, and apprehension tasks. Regular cross-training with aviation resources prepares them for integrated operations in diverse scenarios across the county’s 357 square miles.