MY BEST FRIEND (Part 1 of 2)
there, although we did hear some rumors of attacks at other bases in Thailand.
You really learn a lot about yourself when you spend anywhere from 9 to 12 hours on a K-9 post in the dark with just you and your dog. You both depend on each other to make it through the night. Whichever way the wind was blowing, we would quarter patrol our post, always trying to be up wind if possible. I'll admit that at times it's exciting, boring, and scary patroling a post all night with your dog.
Thailand is a very beautiful country but, since there is forests and jungle there, there are also many animals, snakes, spiders and other creepy crawly things. We had spiders from very tiny all the way up to huge tarantulas the size of Frisbee's. Insects, bugs, and other crawly creatures were everywhere. The repellent they gave us was like candy to these creatures. There were not too many nights without at least two encounters with King Cobras, pythons, spitting Cobras, or Banded Kraits. Sarge, just like Elko, my old Dog School K-9, saved my rear end more than a few times by detecting these snakes, and either stopping, or pulling me away from where they were.
During the monsoon season, it would rain so hard that you couldn't see two feet in front of your face for hours and days at a time. It was a real pain to have to go out in this weather and walk a K-9 post. If it was bad enough where the planes didn't fly, we were still out there. It would rain so hard, and so much that on many K-9 posts, we'd be walking in up to a foot or so of water for a few hours to 12 hours. You didn't worry about snakes swimming in the water, or other animals or insects. If anything happened at your feet or legs, you didn't think about it, you had to concentrate on walking your post and watching your dog and the perimeter fence. Of course, Sarge hated water as much as I did, so we both were miserable together. One night,I was posted at the MSA, and I forgot where the drainage ditch was, and Sarge and I walked into it. If it hadn't been for Sarge swimming, I would have drowned. Damn, I loved that dog.
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