Without the German Shepherd as his companion, the perimeter patrol guard of the 635th Security Police Squadron would not be as effective against intrusion by hostile elements into U-Tapao.
The primary job of the dog-guard team is to detect intrusion onto the base. Once the patrol guard notifies the Security Alert Team (SAT) or the Quick Reaction Force (QRF), he determines whether he will attempt apprehension or wait for the SAT or QRF.
The security dog ia an extension of the eyes, ears, and nose of the security guard. The dog guard teams patrol primarily the 17 miles of perimeter fence but also guard warehouses and hootches. Patrols take the teams in and around the jungle areas about the base. The 635th SPS had determined that insurgency action, if it comes, will probably occur during the hours around midnight, the prime sleeping hours. As a countermeasure, the canine patrols are run in two shifts that cover dusk to dawn.
U-Tapao's sentry and patrol dogs receive six hours per week of proficiency training here by their handlers. Sentry dogs receive obedience training, scouting, chase and agitation drill. Patrol dogs also receive obedience training and controlled agitation but also learn vehicle search, tracking, and scouting.
The canine section has one marijuana dog, used to search for drugs. The dog has been conditioned to search for marijuana on the command of "Mary Jane."
Security dogs are procured from the United States. Sentry dogs are trained for eight weeks, at Lackland Air Force Base , Texas. Patrol dogs receive 12 weeks training at Lackland. After three weeks the Air Force determines whether the dogs qualify for duty. About 10 per cent fail to qualify for various reasons: health, gun-shyness, inability to scout, and in rare cases under-aggressiveness and over-aggressiveness.
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