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It was early October 2006. Reports had been coming in of enemy movement just outside our FOB (forward operating base) perimeter. Orders came down to our company to provide a reconnaissance patrol and search for enemy movement throughout a 5 klick (kilometer) area outside our perimeter the following night.

The patrol leader was selected, and he put together his patrol team and myself as the follow on observer for the patrol. During the next day, the route was selected and movement and equipment preparation were underway throughout the evening and the next day. Rehearsals were conducted, and specific duties of the patrol were delegated. As the company 1SG and the follow on observer, my job was to stay out of the way of the patrol leader as he was developing and implementing his plan and team actions and provide guidance as requested. I had the easy job.

We crossed the line of departure at 2130 hours. Everyone was wearing night vision goggles, and we moved in a modified line through the desert. Because of the vast openness of the desert, we had to maintain 10 to 15 meters between each of us in case of direct and indirect fire. All we carried was our individual ballistic vest, 270 rounds 5.56 ammo each, water and head gear. The night air was still heavy from the 120°-plus temperature from the day, which left it around 90° to 100°F still. Movement was quiet and steady as we followed the route that was mapped out. About 2215 we decided to go into and follow a wadi, which was on our route. Because of the width of the wadi, we were able to straddle the middle and still maintain visual observation on each side. At around 2340 we decided to take a 10-minute break to rest and hydrate. The wadi we were following was beginning to open up more, and we were going to be more exposed.

As the follow on observer, I was two members from the back of the patrol. As we begun to take our break, I was watching what might possibly come behind us, along with the other two individuals. We were all on extra alert right now, listening for any noise and watching for any movement outside our patrol, when to my right at the edge of the wadi stood a desert fox looking at us as we sat. He didn’t move except his head, slowly taking into account what he was seeing. Then he laid down upright and continued to watch for the next few minutes. At this time, several others in the patrol had noticed him also. One of the rear members tried to coax him in closer, but he wanted nothing to do with that and wouldn’t move. After 10 minutes we got up to move out, and the fox got up and trotted off behind us.

As we moved out, we continued our observation as we were again in the open, so we spread out more. Throughout our patrol, I kept looking back and kept seeing our fox friend following us at about 10 meters behind the patrol. Every once in a while he would trot up beside the patrol but still a safe distance away and just follow us. We took another break around 0230 to hydrate and rest. The little fox came up to within 10 meters at the end of the patrol line and just watched us. We noticed then that he was also watching around him as we were. Almost like he was guarding us by observing all that was around him. Several of us watched him as we knew he could hear far better than we could. His alertness would be our early warning. After 10 or 15 minutes we moved out, and that little fox followed along with us. Whether we were scaring up desert rodents for him or not we don’t know, but he continued to follow us throughout our patrol. He had actually become our unofficial guardian angel during the patrol.

Around 0530 just before dawn, we were coming to the end of our patrol and closer to the FOB. As we were within about 500 meters of the FOB, I looked around for our little friend and saw that he had left us. I don’t know when he had left us, but he was the conversation piece for us once we were back in the FOB. His actions were noted along with our recon of the area in our AAR (After Action Report). There was no movement nor action that occurred that night. We did get to witness, though, the presence of nature along with us that gave us a sense of peace and that someone was watching out for us while we were doing our job.

Ole Olson
First Sergeant, IN (Retired)
Albert Lea