Warrior Diplomats' train for Shared Accord '13

By Capt. Mary Avriette, 82nd Civil Affairs BattalionMay 20, 2013

Veterinary
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FORT STEWART -- One of the many missions of the 82nd Civil Affairs Battalion is to conduct veterinary and agricultural infrastructure support to host nations in a variety of global environments and market economies. Civil Affairs Teams can be expected to engage directly with host nation farmers, educators, and public health specialists to empower the host nation to advance in animal and public health. Many times, Veterinary Civil Assistance Programs are the primary means for Civil Affairs Teams to assess and directly influence veterinary care and agricultural infrastructure in a region.

In order to meet the demands of VETCAP missions, Warrior Diplomats of the 82nd Civil Affairs Battalion recently conducted a two-day exercise to enhance their livestock handling skills in preparation for any upcoming VETCAP missions on the continent of Africa in conjunction with USAFRICOM's Shared Accord '13 multi-national training exercise.

Prior to handling large animals, the Warrior Diplomats participated in guided discussions with Capt. Avriette, Battalion Veterinarian, at the Fort Stewart Education Center, where the group focused on mission-essential veterinary tasks including safety around livestock, medication administration (oral, subcutaneous, intramuscular), handling and restraint and animals-to-human disease awareness.

Additional topics included Community Animal Health Assessments, husbandry, agrarian economics, and physical exams of sheep, goats, and cattle.

Following their classroom learning experience, exercise participants gained hands-on time with large animals at the Bits 'N Bridles equine facility on Fort Stewart, Ga. Each Warrior Diplomat successfully completed the 25 tasks of Equine Class 1 task list, which encompasses a myriad of critical skills for safely working with horses. Topics such as knot-tying, hoof care, and physical examinations were all covered using horses boarded at Bits n Bridles.

Future training workshops for the Warrior Diplomats of 82nd CA Bn. will include classroom training on market systems and agrarian calendar cycle, while future hands-on workshops will develop skills working with sheep, goats, and cattle. Local hobby farms willing to donate training time with their herds are gratefully appreciated, and can contact the 82nd CA Bn. Veterinarian at mary.avriette@us.army.mil or by phone at 912-767-7755.