After more than two years apart, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Mike Alcala has finally reunited with John, a now-retired German shepherd military working dog with whom Alcala served for three years while stationed in Hawaii.
The pair reunited a few days before Christmas, when Alcala and his family welcomed John to their home in San Antonio, Texas. Alcala adopted John following the dog's retirement after serving almost a decade as an explosives detection canine.
"John means a lot to me," Alcala said, calling the dog his best friend during his time stationed at Hawaii's Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. "He got me through each day, and whenever it was getting hard, he would always lift my spirits."
MORE: Staff sergeant reunites with retired military dog through adoption projectThe pair first met in 2018 and quickly formed a bond, becoming certified as a team within two weeks of meeting. Alcala and John went on to serve in various security and law enforcement roles across the island of Oahu between 2018 and 2021. While working together, the duo protected high-profile VIPs like the U.S. vice president and first lady.
In 2021, Alcala was reassigned to a base in North Dakota. He tried to extend his service in Hawaii so he could stay with John but was unsuccessful.
"I made him a promise when I was leaving that I would come back for him in some sort of way, to make sure that he came home with me and was able to live out the rest of his life on my couch," Alcala said.
Two years later, John retired due to old age. Alcala subsequently reached out to American Humane, an organization that helps handle the process of adoption to reunite military dogs with their former handlers. The organization provided him with a handler, who traveled over 4,000 miles to bring John from Hawaii to his new home in Texas, where the dog was finally reunited with Alcala.
"It just fills my heart to have him with me and to have my best friend by my side again," Alcala said.