KATTERBACH, Germany (Feb. 14, 2014) -- After more than two years operating at Franken Kaserne, the U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach Veterinary Treatment Facility team reopened their doors at Katterbach Feb. 7.
The veterinary mission and the staff moved to Franken Kaserne in 2011, following a requirement for them to relocate to make way for the construction of the new combined Child Development Center and School Age Center. During that construction, the Veterinary Treatment Facility structure was moved across Katterbach to where it stands today, just outside the installation's main access control point.
The Feb. 7 ribbon-cutting included three distinguished attendees who spoke during the ceremony: Kevin Griess, USAG Ansbach deputy garrison commander; Lt. Col. Michael A. Elliot, Public Health Command District-North Europe commander; and Capt. Adelaide Green, USAG Ansbach VTF officer-in-charge. Distinguished attendees also included Klaus Gerstendorff, Staatliches Bauamt Nürnberg director; Col. James W. Boles, Public Health Command Region-Europe commander; Lt. Col. Adam Gamez, USAG Ansbach Directorate of Public Works commander; and Lt. Col. Rodney S. Gonzalez, Katterbach Army Health Clinic commander.
"Ever since my arrival in June, the first question I received when meeting people was, 'When are you moving back to Katterbach?' Thankfully now I can tell them we are back," Green said. "This move has been in the works since long before I arrived in Ansbach, and I'm glad for the opportunity to see it happen."
Though the Veterinary Treatment Facility is essentially the same building, the facility's move and conversion incorporated 400,000 Euros of work and improvements, including a radiology room and a new ventilation system that the vet team can use for surgeries. The most clear-cut benefit to moving back to Bldg. 9003, Green has said, is that it is configured to serve as a veterinary clinic, unlike the temporary facility at Franken Kaserne.
"Returning to this facility will allow us to offer improved veterinary care to the military working dogs and to the pets of the service members and civilians in the Ansbach community," Green said.
In addition to pets and military working dogs, the VTF mission encompasses an array of other responsibilities that go unnoticed by many in the community, Elliott pointed out during his remarks. These include food protection, industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing and health promotion.
"It's an incredible team of professional Soldiers and civilians," Elliott said. "I'm extremely proud of them. The hard work that has gone in and the partnership that's happened here in Ansbach with this community and community leaders are second to none. I'm very proud of our Ansbach team, and I know, Captain Green, under your leadership, they will continue to do great things for our communities."
Like Elliott, Griess highlighted the VTF's multi-faceted mission during his remarks and added, "We tend to think of the vet as just the vet. Many, many people in our community don't understand that veterinary services bring safety and security across DeCA, AAFES, all those things -- not just the veterinary clinic. Probably one of the hardest working captains -- and crews -- in the garrison, being pulled in different directions, is usually the captain in charge of the vet clinic."
The successful conversion and relocation of Bldg. 9003 during an uncertain fiscal climate, Griess added, illustrate the power of personal relationships and trust across USAG Ansbach and beyond. Despite sequestration adding a roadblock to the process, Griess said garrison and DPW committed to making good on their promise of getting the VTF staff and mission back to the original, properly configured building through the partnership of Staatliches Bauamt Nürnberg (German construction agency) and DPW.
"This is an outstanding facility," Griess said. "It demonstrates our care for our medical partners. It demonstrates our promise to our community that we will do the right thing when we set about setting up mission and facilities and getting it done."
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