So as I mentioned before I was in the Navy. I served for about 11 years and have been all over the Pacific. (Join the Navy, see the world or at least half of it.)

One of my favorite tours was in San Clemente Island, CA. It’s a pretty cool base with a lot of open areas to hike. We didn’t have a lot of other things to do but it was still a cool place. At night the fog would roll in so thick, you couldn’t see past the hood of your truck, literally.

I was stationed there as a Security Police Office (since they didn’t have shore duty for more normal job at sea in weapons) and had worked my way up to the Field Training Office and Watch Commander. As the FTO, it was my responsibility to arrange training, whether it be discussion or scenarios.

Anyway, one night two of my guys (both new) were riding together. It was a quite night and I had antother experienced crew rolling so I decided to have a little training session with these guys. Some of the areas out there have no lights so it is pitch black. (Sometimes, I would follow the patrols without my lights on to verify they were properly checking the buildings and not off cruising the dirt roads or parked and sleeping.) On this particular night, the pair parked their truck and walked over to this very long warehouse where they needed to check multiple door. I walked up to the truck and checked the door, unlocked. I opened the door, thinking I would take the shotgun to scare them and lo and behold the keys were in the ignition. (Now at this particular base, no one is supposed to be on the roads after 10:00pm with the exception of us or the occaisonaly air traffic controllers heading to the tower. The building is in the opposite direction about two miles.) Anyway, I got in their truck, started it up, turned on the lights and wigwags and took off. My truck was about 100 yards in the field behind a hill so it couldn’t be seen at all in the dark.

After a short while, I drove on down and heard the pair calling on the radio for backup. I had a different circuit to talk to dispatch so he was informed. The other patrol picked these guys up and I slowed down to give them time. I led them on a mmerry chase for a bit, then pulled onto a dirt road leading to an abandoned A frame. I parked right out front, ran to the door and opened it a crack, then took off into the field dodging the cactus I could see. Between the darkness of midnight and the cammies I was wearing, they didn’t see a thing. :ninja:

I dropped into the tall grass as the group pulled up beside their pilfered vehicle. They cautiously approached the vehicle, locked it (I had left the keys in it on purpose so kudos to them.) Next, they began to clear the building but one of them stopped and began running into the field. As he ran my way, I heard him yell, “No don’t.” I rolled over to see several SEALs standing over me, with weapons in my face. I looked at them and just said “hey.”

I think the two rookies were more afraid than I was because I knew the instructor who was leading them and he was standing beside the group and had recognized me. (Apparently, I had even run right over one of them, good thing I have a long stride.)

After all said and done, those two rookies learned a valuable lesson about following procedure. They actually became two of the better patrolman although I didn’t think I would give them quite the scare I did nor do I think they ever forgave me. :angel:

There were a few other funny times but that’s for another day.

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