NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. – It’s the paw-fect ending to a career of military service that included a deployment and thousands of hours detecting explosives.
Military Working Dog Bronco, a chocolate Labrador, received a full retirement ceremony Friday afternoon at Naval Station Mayport.
Press play below to watch the full ceremony
Bronco has proudly served his country for 47 “dog years” from September 2017 to August 2024.
His service included a deployment to Qatar in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and over 5,000 hours of explosive detection operations.
Bronco’s work ensured “all service members he served with could sleep peacefully at night,” Mayport Public Affairs Officer David Holmes said.
Bronco, who is leaving military service for genetic medical reasons, will be spending his retirement with his last handler, Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Petty Officer Lancen McDonald.
The pair have been together since February 2022.
McDonald said when he first met Bronco he didn‘t expect to bond with him as much as he did.
“No one expects to have that close bond with their first dog, like with any dog in general,” McDonald said. “It‘s just a job to everyone and for me and Bronco it’s just more than just a job.”
McDonald says he‘s happy Bronco is retiring now because it’s the right time.
“He did his time, he did the best,” McDonald said. “At the end of the day now he’s got a nice big ole couch to go sleep on whenever he wants.”
McDonald has two daughters and a wife. Who he said are going to show Bronco “a lot of love and rubs and a lot of play.”
Holmes explained that MWD tradition is that the dog is considered one rank higher than their assigned handler, so that makes Bronco’s official rank at retirement (E-6) Master-at-Arms 1st Class Petty Officer.