QUANTICO, Va. –
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service made progress in expanding its Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K-9 program, and K-9 Jill has some company as the agency graduated three new K-9s on June 23, 2025.
With the new additions—Wes in Jacksonville, Florida; Mac in San Diego; and Bika at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina—NCIS K-9 teams will be able to respond quicker and cover more cases and locations throughout the United States.
The NCIS ESD K-9s are part of the Technical Services Field Office of the Operational Technology and Cyber Innovation Directorate. Initially focused on support for Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) cases involving children and child exploitation, the K-9 teams can be deployed during the execution of search warrants to detect hidden portable electronic devices and aid in felony criminal, counterintelligence, and cyber investigations. Their keen sense of smell allows them to detect the slightest trace of triphenylphosphine oxide, a chemical found in all electronic storage devices, like microSD cards and thumb drives.
The program was created to provide NCIS with a valuable asset to enhance the effectiveness of agents and investigators as they execute the criminal and counterintelligence mission for the Department of the Navy. However, when the agency researched and measured the program against other federal and local law enforcement agencies, it discovered that the NCIS program was the only ESD K-9 program in the Department of Defense, which enhanced its value even more.
“Criminal and counterintelligence investigations have become increasingly complex as criminals and foreign intelligence entities increase their use of technology while committing illicit activities,” said Death, Cold Case and Violent Crimes Division Chief, Special Agent Tristy Terwilliger. “Department of Defense components are able to utilize canines to detect electronic storage devices that may affect the security of DOD installations, facilities, personnel, resources or operations.”
As the program evolved, demand for K-9 support increased. NCIS routinely receives requests from law enforcement partners for mutual aid, and other military criminal investigative organizations are looking at NCIS’ program as the model for their own.
How Success is Measured
When discussing the success or impact of a program like the NCIS ESD K-9 program, it helps to have data to back up the agency’s claims, so NCIS created K-9 PAWS, or K-9 Performance, Activity and Wellness System. It’s a data collection system that captures information on how productive the dogs are, how often they’re deployed, and what devices are found. It even tracks when it’s time for the dog’s next veterinary visit or vaccines and can alert the handler so they can make an appointment.
“There’s no other system that we have seen that is as holistic as this system,” Terwilliger said. “We benchmarked it off of other data that other programs wish that they were able to collect, and then we built it in-house.”
Terwilliger added how gauging the success of the program is really about looking at how the dog is able to assist agents and investigators at the scene. It’s having the confidence of knowing that all storage devices have been located.
There are two types of searches the dogs might perform.
First is a primary search, where they are the first to enter and are finding all the devices, whether in plain sight or hidden. Primary searches are done when there’s a possibility that the individual could destroy evidence and the team needs to move quickly.
The other type is for when time is not a critical factor. Agents can remove all the visible devices and what is immediately discovered, then the K-9 can perform a secondary search for anything that may not have been readily seen.
“Devices located during the secondary search are the items that would have been left behind had the K-9 not been utilized,” said Terwilliger. “When we look at the success of the program, it will be primarily focused on those secondary searches where we say that these are the things we might not have collected without the K-9.”
It’s not a failure on the part of the agents, she emphasized. K-9s are the new tool that helps agents find what they’re searching for. She likens it to giving the agent a flashlight.
“If you think about searching for bloodstains in the dark, you might find 50% of them,” she said. “But if I give you a flashlight, you’re going to find 100%.”
A Heart for Service
The goal is to have a K-9 team at all of the continental United States field offices, and Hawaii. A team for the Northwest Field Office in Silverdale, Washington, and a team assigned within the Protective Operations Field Office at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Maryland will complete training this fall.
The Labrador retrievers that NCIS currently employs were selected from a pool of all breeds that completed service dog assessments, but for one reason or another were deemed unsuitable to be service dogs.
Unsuitable traits may include excess playfulness, susceptibility to distraction, or sensitivity to loud noises, but they displayed other traits that would make them suitable for the NCIS K-9 program.
ESD K-9s already possess advanced behavioral training and are capable of accomplishing a variety of tasks because they’ve been honorably discharged from the service dog training program. While their existing capabilities are not specific to NCIS requirements, it demonstrates their trainability.
Dogs are chosen based on their temperament. They also need to listen and follow commands, remain calm even when faced with increased stimuli, and be comfortable working around people.
Unlike bomb or narcotic K-9s, which are primarily rewarded with toys after a successful search alert, ESD K-9s are food-reward dogs, so candidates must be driven by food rewards.
“One quality we need in electronic detection dogs is a desire to eat. They have to be highly food-driven, and we test for that,” said Special Agent David Lawhorn, NCIS ESD K-9 Program Manager. “We will throw a tennis ball and a piece of kibble out and watch to see which the dog is attracted to and how much time they’re willing to spend looking for the kibble if we throw it into high grass, for example. Their drive to find food is something that is highly desirable.”
He noted that dogs have a tendency to smell in layers, so if a room is heavily perfumed, the dog would smell the perfume and the electronic device.
“If a person tried to mask the electronic smell, the dog can still smell it,” said Lawhorn.
K-9 Differences
Typical K-9 units use various shepherd breeds or Belgian Malinois because they fill a dual-purpose role; they serve as patrol dogs and are trained to detect explosives or narcotics.
ESD K-9s do not search to establish probable cause like their explosive and narcotic K-9 counterparts. Simply being in possession of an electronic device is not illegal and does not equate to criminal behavior; therefore, ESD K-9s require a reason and the legal authority to search.
Since ESD K-9s are food-driven, they are hand-fed, which helps build the bond between the handler and the dog and creates an expectation that in order to eat, they must find a device.
To ensure that ESD K-9s maintain their effectiveness, the NCIS program requires that the dogs and handlers must train three times a day, every day, rain or shine. The training is reinforced with food, ensuring they have adequate nutrition to perform.
“When people hear that the dogs are food-reward dogs, they assume food is withheld,” Lawhorn said. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. We give the dogs the appropriate amount of food every single day. We monitor their weight on a weekly basis, and the weights are reported to the program manager, and they have to be maintained within the military working dog standards.”
While Lawhorn said he hopes that NCIS will make being a K-9 handler a full-time job one day, it is currently considered an additional, or collateral, duty for the special agent or investigator.
NCIS Handlers and Care
Special agents or investigators considering becoming an ESD K-9 handler must be willing to learn and follow established guidelines. Since training is tied to hand-fed rewards, deviation from the program requirements could degrade the K-9’s ability to find hidden electronics. Prospective handlers must also be willing to work hard and be committed to daily training.
While it is the responsibility of the handler to care for and train their K-9 partner, all the associated costs are covered for them.
As with all military working dogs, medical care is covered by the Department of Defense. All other expenses, such as specialized K-9 vehicles equipped to safely transport the dog, K-9 ballistic vests, training aids, food, grooming supplies, etc., are supplied by NCIS.
Special travel provisions are allocated for extended travel requirements, such as co-location inside the airplane’s cabin with its handler for trips outside a six-hour, or 300-mile, radius of their home base. NCIS also provides all the harnesses and other safety equipment to ensure the dog can travel safely in a rented vehicle.
K-9 Life After Retirement
NCIS ESD K-9s are assigned to a geographic area where they work for a minimum of five years before retiring.
When the time comes for Jill to retire, Lawhorn said he also plans to retire and adopt her. Another K-9 and handler will replace the duo at the Norfolk Field Office.
As NCIS continues to expand its Electronic Storage Detection K-9 program, each new team strengthens the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission to investigate and defeat threats to the Department of the Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps—wherever they are. These highly trained dogs and their dedicated handlers are more than just a tactical asset. They represent the fusion of innovation and instinct in service of national security. With every deployment, the ESD K-9s help safeguard personnel, protect resources, and ensure that no device, no matter how small or well-hidden, goes undetected. Their work is a testament to NCIS’ commitment to excellence, integrity, and the relentless pursuit of justice.