Relating to their careers, Marine Corps Cpls. Alex and Andres Lopez are fast to say they’re blessed:
They’re a dual-military couple who’re assigned to the identical place and the identical unit.
And due to the roles they pursued — each are navy working canine handlers — they every have an extra associate at work who all the time has their again.
The Lopezes sat down to speak with us a bit about their marriage and their four-legged companions.
Job Title:
Navy working canine handlers
Hometowns:
Lenore, Idaho & El Paso, Texas
Stationed:
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Unit:
Provost Marshal’s Workplace, Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Canine Companions:
Roli, explosives detection and patrol canine & Bruno, narcotics detection and patrol canine
How did you meet?
Andres: We met again in MP [military police] college. I am a really pushed particular person. Considered one of my fundamental objectives was to graduate class chief from starting to finish, which I ended up conducting. However in that I used to be capable of meet any person who had the identical sort of expectations for herself — bodily, mentally, spiritually. She wished to be the very best she might be. … I wished to be the highest and there she was simply difficult me by means of all of it, and I ended up falling in love along with her.
Alex: The extra class progressed, and we spent extra time collectively I noticed a problem that might assist push me to really obtain my objectives and any person that might make it enjoyable and gratifying.
Andres: In the beginning she did not need something to do with me. She’s like, ‘Who is that this bossy man?’ After which I believe she sort of fell for like, I wasn’t simply the bossy man. I had which means behind every thing I wished to do.
When you turned critical, have been you involved about the way you’d make it work as a dual-military couple in the identical profession area?
Andres: You’ll be able to all the time hear, ‘Oh in the case of marriage or {couples}, the Marine Corps goes to place their wants earlier than yours. However in our expertise, the Marine Corps put us first. So, we graduated from the MP schoolhouse. I went straight to Lackland [Texas] to turn out to be a canine handler, and she or he got here right here to Camp Lejeune. We ended up getting married whereas I used to be in Lackland. I used to be already getting orders to Arizona. I used to be alleged to go to Yuma. The Marine Corps modified my orders like per week earlier than I used to be alleged to go to Yuma to go to Camp Lejeune.
We’re tremendous skilled with one another at work. And we’re such a very good set of people inside our kennels. Everyone will get alongside so nicely and all people’s speaking and studying from one another, so it is by no means prefer it’s us two and everybody else.
Alex: Everyone is aware of that we’re married, however so far as workwise, they know I am Cpl. Lopez with an explosive detection canine; he is Cpl. Lopez with a narcotics detection canine. So far as interacting and conserving it skilled and discovering that stability it simply sort of flows as a result of everyone knows our jobs; everyone knows what’s anticipated of us.
What do every of you want about being a canine handler?
Alex: It is a self-reflection of who you’re and the exhausting work you set into it. Day-after-day, if you go in and see him, for those who’re having a foul day, he all the time cheers you up. After which if he performs unbelievable, it is only a reflection of the time you have put into him after which he pays it again to you by doing unbelievable and it is a endless cycle.
Andres: You are working along with your canine all this time, and he is making you a greater handler. And there is these little moments along with your canine. I would been working constructing searches only for coaching, and also you get a name and it is truly a constructing search and he goes in there and he does precisely what he is alleged to do, and he truly finds any person, which actually occurred. And the second he finds somebody, I simply have a look at him and I am so pleased with him. And he appears to be like at me like I am his dad and I appear like, ‘That is my boy.’
Do you’ve any youngsters at dwelling — human or canine?
Andres: We do have a four-legged son. His title’s Ace. He is an 8-month-old Lab. However for now, he is the one little one we’ve got.
Do you assume he will get jealous if he can odor the opposite canine on you?
Andres: I believe Ace is a lover, so when he smells the canine — as a result of I do know he does — he isn’t like, ‘Who’s this (suspiciously)?’ It is extra like, ‘Who’s THIS (excitedly)??’
Alex: Like, do we’ve got one other buddy for him?
Inform us a bit about your backgrounds. Do both of you come from a navy household?
Alex: My grandpa and my nice grandpa have been each within the Military and my uncle served within the Air Pressure.
Andres: My household wasn’t so oriented with the navy however after we return and have a look at it, I see that my grandpa served within the Navy. I do have one other grandfather from my mother’s facet, he was within the Military. Proper now, my little brother is a machine gunner up in Pendleton. That is a giant inspiration to me. I even have a cousin, he is within the Coast Guard doing nearly the identical job as me.
While you’re not on the job, what do you love to do?
Alex: We do every thing conceivable from mountaineering, fishing, tenting, bicycling, working — every thing. We’re all the time on the transfer; we all the time wish to discover what’s on the market.
Andres: Staying bodily match is not only as a result of we’re within the Marine Corps anymore. The Marine Corps made {that a} way of life for us. … We’re not a sofa potato couple. And going to church — that is a giant one too. That is helped us out lots.
Any phrases of knowledge for different navy {couples}, or {couples} that work collectively?
Andres: You might have to have the ability to adapt and stability. And you must go for what you need. Her being within the kennels and me being within the kennels, it wasn’t as a result of we have been quiet, and we simply sat again.
Alex: We needed to show ourselves.
Watch the Lopezes and their canine companions at work:
