#1

Hodge,
While I wasn't a K-9 handler at Clark during the 70's, things had not changed that much by 1983 when I arrived fresh from Lackland.
Reading the stories on your site brought back so many memories of the crazy crap that seemed to be the norm at Clark. I have to admit, by then the intruder releases had tapered off. I myself released my dog twice, but didn't get the rush of seeing my dog Bear nail Padi. The little bastards could run like the wind.
I would like to pass along my thanks to the handler who wrote Bob Gray's story. All of us at Clark knew of Bob's tragic murder, but none really knew exactly what occurred that night. Some thought Bob had screwed up, others thought he had been selected. To finally know that Bob was just doing what he was supposed to, and was killed by a real hard case, brings a little bit of understanding.
To those who knew Bob, my condolences.
By the time I arrived at Clark in October of 1983, the unit had changed a bit. Resource Protection had been absorbed into LES, though K-9 still had their own flights. SSgt Steve Rose was my first flight chief on "D" Flight K-9.
My first post was in the bomb dump adjacent to the Sewage Treatment ponds padi liked to fish in and the infamous Mag 24. At that time I had a dog named Mokie. I was scared witless. Luckily, no one messed with me that night and nothing happened intruder wise. With Mokie, that was probably for the best since that dog would go ballistic as soon as he heard the words "Halt Security Police!" Needless to say, the kennelmaster realized I was about to kill the dog and reassigned me to Bear. All black except for a white patch on his chest and willing to hump anything!
Probably my most interesting night occurred inside the Satcom facility. It was definitely a night I learned to trust my instincts. I was screwing off (no surprise there!) when the DOD guard in the back popped a flare. I rushed back to find out what was going on and the guard proceeded to babble about Padi coming over the wall.
He tells me the intruder fled when he fired the flare. I asked him where the intruder's partner was. He claims there wasn't any partner. Like all of us K-9 handler's we learned fast, padi always had at least one partner.
Knowing there was still someone inside, I told him to go to the ECP to call LE since our radios weren't working. (dead spots caused by the electronics) By this time the desk was going ballistic wanting to know what had happened. The DOD guard refused to understand and didn't want to leave his post.
Well, instead of saying "screw LED" and looking for the the partner, I walked up to the ECP to call. (What a jeep I was!) As I walked back around from calling, there goes intruder number two pushing a scaffolding towards the wall to escape. I cut Bear loose from about 150 feet away and the race was one.
Unfortunately Bear missed the bite by less than a foot (literally and figuratively!) and padi scrambled over the wall. Needless to say I was madder at the fact I didn't trust my instincts instead of trying to keep communication. I never did that again!

#2

Another incident was more on the amusing side, Though at the time it could have been fatal for a dog.
Another handler (I forget his name) and I were screwing off in the bomb dump on the bridge near the smaller igloos BSing. We were sitting on the edge of the bridge and our dogs being bored were crashed.
The next thing I know his dog Joey rolls over in his sleep and rolls right off the bridge! It was at least a 20 foot drop and the dog just thumped! His handler gets up in a panic, just knowing his dog was dead and he was going to get court martialed.
He runs around the edge and down to the creek. Meanwhile I rush to the edge of the bridge to look down and there's Joey standing in the water wagging his tail! Joey must have thought it was pretty neat or something!
To this day I have no idea how that dog didn't get hurt, because he hit dirt and not water. The only thing I can think of was that he was still asleep as he fell and was totally relaxed when he hit!
Needless to say we headed back to our posts and pretended to be humpin' little handlers the rest of the shift!

I only wish the handlers of today could have shared our experiences. Today so many whine and complain because they don't get a nice patrol car or have to work in the aircraft parking area on a security post.
I think the only legacy left of our days at Clark are the handlers of Howard AB, Panama.
One of the handlers on my flight now just came from there and he tells stories that sound like the ones we tell about the PI! Unfortunately Howard will be closing this year, so yet another era will be passing on.
After 13 years in K-9 I've now moved on to the "straight-leg" world of security police. Or, "Security Forces" as we're called now. I still try to help the kennels with training to keep my hand in it in case my unit decides they want me down at the kennels after all. But in my heart, I'll always be K-9!

K-9! Defenders of the Night!
TSgt Gary D. Cox 48th SFS, RAF Lakenheath, UK
"D" Flight K-9, Clark AB, PI Oct 83 - Apr 85