Sophie had expected the media to be gathered at the gates of the base, as the car stopped at the front gate and she got out she had the voice of Malcolm Tucker in her ear. "You know the drill" he lurked a few steps behind like some kind of dark shadow. Sophie posed next to the station sign for a few moments before entering the guard room. Malcolm stood outside speaking to the press. "Oh, I don't know who she'll be rooming with......the Air Commodore clearly hasn't graced me with that nugget of information, I mean he has got bigger things to worry about than which future officer gets to room with another future officer." He was fielding questions from the assembled press and the dead eye he was being given by the REMAF Police Officer was going unnoticed.
Inside the guardroom Sophie was stood at the desk, "Stand still" a Corporal behind the desk said as he manouvered a digital camera into place. "and smile" he snapped a picture and began printing off the temporary ID card every visitor to the base was given. "And could you sign this please" he slid a piece of paper towards her and Sophie picked up the pen chained to the desk and did as instructed. "Thank you, and now this" he slid a copy of todays newspaper showing her finishing her Hrothgar trek. "For the squadron museum" he explained and Sophie gladly signed it. "Keep this on you at all times. You're heading down to Hangar 27, last one on the right" he pointed at the map built into the counter top. "Welcome to Ostlake East" he handed her the ID and buzzed her through the doors onto the base.
It was already getting busy as people on pre-training orientation visits were being shown around, Sophie however had been here so often she knew the place like the back of her hand and made her way down the tree lined road that made its way towards Hangar 27. As she neared the large black building she spotted one or two others making their way inside, a row of kennels stood parallel to the hangars entrance and the feint bark of dogs could be heard. Sophie pushed the door open and found a tall spectacled man waiting, a small foxterrier sat obediently by his heels. "Name please" he asked without looking up from his clipboard he was writing on.
"Sophie Harrison-Ironside Sir" she responded recognising his Flight Lieutenant stripes, it wouldn't be good getting some of the basics wrong on the first day.
"Oh....my apologise Your Ladyship" he snapped to attention and saluted, his dog standing neatly as he did so. "Welcome to 403" he added as he ticked her name of.
"Thank you Sir" it was going to be weird, here she was going to be the most junior of people in a unit yet all were going to be so worries about protocol they'd be tripping up all the time. "But I think you shouldn't be using my title, after all I'll be working for you." she hoped she hadn't overstepped the mark.
"Well, me and Crumble here" he patted his dog whose ears had perked up at the mention of his name. "He's an explosive dog, done several tours with me, Safraen, Marseille." Sophie wanted to fuss the dog a little as he looked so cute, but she knew that wasn't encouraged. "If you'd go inside please" he pointed the way into a large hall where seats were arranged in a circle. As she made her way in she could see folders on each table and a pile of equipment underneath each, a board next to the door had everyone's name on, twenty people in total and she looked around them all before finding her own name, she recognised no one. She identified her seat and headed towards it.
"Oh...Ladies and Gentleman" a loud voice boomed around the hall, "A moment of applause please for the Squadrons Superstar, Mundus Games Medalist, Triathlete, Rower, Hiker, general all round machine Archduchess Sophie" A beefy looking Sergeant with a ginger beard and matching moustache gave a theatrics bow. Everyone stopped, looked round and then clapped. "ENOUGH!" the mans voice boomed again. "Now we've got that over with remember, Harrison-Ironside here is no different than...." he looked down at his folder, "Breacker, Murphy or Carstairs" he read three random names of the list. "If she doesn't cut the mustard she's out , and now get your arses in those seats" Sophie felt herself blush, but at least it seemed like their training Sergeant understood the problem. "Now, I'm Sergeant Robbie Fisher, for your time on Initial Officer Training and then Trade Training I'll be the one dealing with you, I'll decide whether you pass or fail and as far as you are concerned I am now Helus. Now pick up your folder, we're going to do some reading." For the next two hours he had each read out sections of the booklet, mainly rules of training, what was expected, standards and the like, and after each paragraph explained his own version. Once they'd done he fired questions at them making sure everyone was as prepared as they could be. "Two weeks.....in two weeks we begin all this. In that time make sure your fit, rested and that you've read that other folder." Sophie looked quickly at it, the folder was as thick as a University book and was all about training dogs for the military and basic vetenary first aid. "During your career, if you get one, you will best friend, parents and vet to a horrid four legged beast, some of you will have meet Crumble, he's an explosive dog with over 200 discoveries, he's saved hundreds of lives and is a hero. Some of you will get dogs like him, others will be on protection duty and you'll get dogs like....JET!" he yelled and a large Alsatian padded in and immediately went towards the Sergeant and sat down. "Jet here is a protection dog, part sniffer dog, part tracker, part weapon, part alarm....and all teeth" on the last word the dog growled showing a menacing set of fangs. "Enough" he clicked his fingers in front of the dog who instantly stopped. "Before you leave today our trainers will introduce you to your partners in crime. This is subject to change and has been carefully considered, therefore not negotiable. You'll meet them today and tommorrow they start their training here with us. By the time you're six weeks in they'll be ready to start meeting and working with you. Remember these are not pets, but you will form a bond like no other with them."
One at a time a white coated NCO turned up and shouted a recruits name before leading them off outside. Sophie began reading the book while she waited. "Harrison-Ironside" a small female Corporal called and Sophie closed her book and headed over. "Nice to meet you, follow me" the woman scanned a keycard that took them down an external corridor towards the kennels. "We've looked at your background, not that we didn't know already, and your apptitude tests, you wanted the Protection Role and we're giving you that." Without thinking Sophie gave a little muttered cheer, "Nice to see your happy" they reached the other gate to the kennels and the Corporal scanned them in. The noise level was much greater than outside as dogs barked, as they walked past enclosures Sophie could see some of the other recruits sat on the floor with dogs, small terriers, alsatians, dogs of every shape and size to fit the roles the Air Force needed. She wondered what she'd get, "Now before you go in, you get thirty minutes, make a fuss, get them to play with you and the like, it helps build a bond. Your getting
Bandit" Sophie liked the name and peeked around the door as the Corporal unlocked it, "I'll be here if need be" she waited for Sophie to step past.
Sophie looked around the white waist high walled room, a bowl of food, one of water, a bed and a few toys lay around, but no sign of the dog. "Hello" Sophie found herself saying as she looked, "Bandit" suddenly the bed flipped over, she hadn't noticed it had been upside down and a little Husky appeared eyeing her quizzically. Sophie wanted to go "awwww" but gathered it probably wasn't the professional thing to do. She knelt down, "Come here Bandit" she said softly and the dog darted towards her before swerving away at the last minute. She turned round and found him sat in the corner, "Come on" she tried again and once more he scampered towards her and then away as she extended a hand, his tiny tail was swishing clearly seeing this as some kind of game. It took fifteen minutes before he actually let Sophie stroke him and then it was all about belly rubs, at one point when she stopped to pick up one of his toys a surprisingly strong paw tugged on her arm as though indicating the belly rubbing wasn't over. He finally crawled into her lap and curled up, clearly comfortable with her and she tickled the back of his neck, he seemed to like that.
"OK Bandit, Sophie" the Corporal said after the time was up. "Say goodbye, you'll meet again in six weeks." The dog tried to follow Sophie out and had to be ushered back, it managed to side step the Corporal and follow Sophie out the enclosure. Sophie laughed, bent down and picked him up, placing him back on the bed. She quickly walked back and this time the Corporal managed to get the door shut just in time. A low whimper could be heard and Sophie turned back to see Bandit peering through the fence. "Well that went well, good bond, give him a little goodbye pet and this" she produced a small cube of meat from her jacket pocket. Sophie leaned down letting Bandit take the morsel, he licked his lips at the taste and then proceeded to lick Sophie's fingers.
"See you soon Bandit" Sophie turned and left following the Corporal, she was now really excited to start training and just hoped Bandit didn't mess up.
