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U.S. Navy Officers Honored for Health Information Technology Excellence
U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdrs. “Gean” Boca and Raben Talvo receive CIO award, and ACHE Early Career Executive award, respectively, for their health IT expertise and contributions.
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Military working animals, along with their human counterparts, play an important role in protecting our nation and U.S. interests worldwide.
From bomb and drug sniffing working dogs to working mules and horses—these animals are crucial to the safety and security on and off the battlefield.
The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps promotes the health, safety, and welfare of all military working animals to maintain mission readiness. The corps also provides care for service members’ pets at veterinary treatment facilities around the globe. The Defense Health Agency Veterinary Services Division supports the Veterinary Corps’ animal health mission by providing policy guidance, support, and coordination with other departments and agencies when needed.
“We accomplish this by providing veterinary public health capabilities through veterinary medical and surgical care, food safety and defense, and biomedical research and development,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Patti Glen, chief of DHA’s veterinary services division. “In addition to the vet corps, officers provide military veterinary expertise in response to natural disasters and other emergencies. We’re an integral part of supporting a nation at war. Everything we do ultimately focuses on the warfighter, the soldier, sailor, airmen, and Marines.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Melissa Hehr, deputy chief of DHA’s veterinary services division, said that military working dogs receive semi-annual physical exams at a minimum, as well as other routine and preventive veterinary care that includes vaccinations, and flea, tick, and heartworm prevention.
She said wellness exams are recommended for personal pets on an annual basis. Consulting a veterinarian is recommended to “determine what vaccinations are most appropriate, given their pet’s location, breed, age, health status, and activities.
“For our working animals, the handlers have a really close relationship with the veterinarian so that they can call them anytime they need to,” said Glen. “There is an Army veterinarian on call 24/7 for our working animals.
Glen noted the summertime can be especially hard on working animals, particularly dogs.
“The working dogs are out there in the heat, and their work is so intense that they must be on work-rest cycles. They need to have plenty of shade. Their coat gives them more insulation, so it’s harder to keep them cool. It is important for them to have access to shade, and water to cool down and to drink.”
Even something as common as walking your dog can be dangerous for their health during the warmer months.
“If the concrete is too hot for you to touch,” said Glen, “then it’s too hot for them to walk on. Find some grass to get them off the hot concrete.”
“Another thing for military families to keep in mind is maintaining their pet’s rabies vaccinations and rabies titers.” She added this is especially important if a service member is about to move outside of the U.S. Having pet records up to date is vital to prevent delays.
Although not responsible for the day-to-day care of the military’s working animals, or service members’ personal pets, the DHA veterinary services division helps to analyze, inform, influence, and shape policy and strategy.
Along with their work with military working animals, “a large part of our mission is protecting or enhancing the health of the warfighter and beneficiaries of the Military Health System,” said Hehr.
“One of the things I enjoy about working in DHA Public Health is that there is no such thing as a typical day,” said Hehr. “I enjoy the challenge of not knowing what may come my way as I go about my workday. We spend a lot of time analyzing and informing policy that can impact our stakeholders, the joint force, and the nation.”
“I can’t imagine that there’s a more exciting job than as a veterinarian in the Army,” said Glen.
In her current capacity she noted that she gets to do a little bit of everything.
“We get called on for our expertise in food protection, animal health and welfare, global health engagements, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and zoonotic disease. I get to help develop and shape policy.”
Her passion to help animals fueled her career path.
“I became a veterinarian because I love medicine and wanted to help not only animals, but also people,” said Hehr. “I liked the fact that veterinary medicine would give me the option to change course multiple times throughout my career to pursue my ever-evolving interests and passions.”
“I like knowing that I can make a difference on so many levels. Whether it’s because I’m able to cure a sick pet, prevent the spread of a transboundary animal disease to U.S. livestock, mitigate the risk of zoonotic diseases to people, or support national security, my role as an Army veterinarian enables me to have a positive impact in so many areas that I feel are important.”
The Army Veterinary Corps celebrates 108 years of service to our nation June 3. The Soldiers and staff of the Fort Campbell Veterinary Clinic strive to provide the best animal, food and public health support to the entire Fort Campbell community.
Members of the Dover Air Force Base Veterinary Treatment Facility, 436th Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog section, and the 436th Medical Group Warm Zone Team held a training session on January 10, 2024, to practice the skills necessary to properly decontaminate MWDs and possibly save their lives in the aftermath of a nuclear, biological …
Despite intermittent downpours and cloudy skies, a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation filled the air as the Public Health Command-Pacific, Veterinary Readiness Activity, Japan and Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo leadership came together on January 18, 2024, to celebrate the opening of the newest veterinary treatment facility in the Pacific.
If it’s a four-legged patient, then you’ll see a collaboration between the installation’s dental and veterinary teams.
Overall, both military men and women are nearly twice as likely to report feeling high levels of stress in their military work (39%) than in their family life (22%), according to the National Library of Medicine. Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi provides multiple resources for airmen and their families who may need physical or psychological …
Veterinary Services performs food safety operations and inspections to ensure deployed forces receive the safest food and water available. They also care for military working animals and provide public health services during humanitarian assistance missions.
“Dogs are like little mood boosters in hospitals,” said U.S. Army Capt. James Walker, hospital chaplain of Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital. He submitted a photo of his dog, Scout, to participate in DHA’s Dog Days of Summer campaign, which raises awareness of facility dogs across the MHS. Everyone, including the hospital and dental commander, and …
Therapy dogs aboard ship provide comfort and stress reduction in a pilot program run by the U.S. Navy.
The facility dog program at Walter Reed provides interactive care with innovative animal assisted interventions to help reduce stress and increase overall feelings of well-being.
Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune staff are receiving comfort and support from four-legged friends. For the past several months, Beasley the Basset Hound, has been making her rounds in her Red Cross volunteer vest, providing treats for humans in the form of pets and cuddles.
Facility dogs have benefitted from the respect wounded warriors have for them and support mental health and wellness in patients across the Military Health System.
Facility dogs across the Military Health System are being recognized for their value with honorary commissions, enlistments, and service vests.
This week, the Defense Health Agency is celebrating facility dogs assigned to military hospitals across the nation for its “Dog Days of Summer” campaign July 24-28. DHA will spotlight stories of hard-working dogs dedicated to keeping service members, their families, and hospital staff healthy and happy.
When the Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier set off last month on its second deployment, it carried something both familiar and entirely novel: Sage the Labrador retriever!
The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) facility dog program is expanding with the addition of an enthusiastic two-year-old Labrador retriever named Grover.
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