SAN ANTONIO, TX - The US Army Veterinary Corps recently hosted a meeting of NATO experts with specialties in Food and Water Safety and Veterinary Support (FWSVS) and Military Working Dog Countering -- Improvised Explosive Devices (MWD C-IED).
The meeting, held in San Antonio, consisted of approximately 40 expert panel members from 19 nations including; Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, United Kingdom and the United States. The meeting focused on working towards standardizing public health and food safety and procurement processes amongst participating NATO countries. The group also worked towards standardizing the training of military working dogs across NATO used to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Addressing the group, US Army Veterinary Corps Chief, Brig. Gen. John Poppe, said, "You all have come a long way with Standardized Agreements (STANAGS) for both food and water safety, which were not completed when I deployed. These agreements have improved operations in Afghanistan, especially with the ever expanding role of the NATO Support Agency, contracting services ranging from dining facilities to water bottling facilities. Poppe added, "On the animal side, please consider ways to maximize all medical assets in theater. Medical assets, especially veterinary medicine, are always limited and precious resources on the battlefield, and I applaud your continued efforts to improve medical support for our military working dogs, which depend on us to be their advocate."
This was the first combined meeting between the Food and Water Safety & Veterinary Services and the Military Working Dog Countering Improvised Explosive Devices groups.
Col. Timothy Stevenson, Deputy Director of the DoD Veterinary Service Activity-South said, "The standardized agreements the panels have worked on are the backbone behind NATO interoperability. Ensuring Service members have access to safe, healthy, and high quality food is equally as important as ensuring they have the proper weapons and protective equipment. No matter how well equipped service members may be, if they lack energy and stamina because of insufficient food and water they cannot fight effectively. These agreements are a critical requirement for militaries to work together more effectively, leveraging each other's strengths, and sharing resources to save time, money, and lives. In a world of ever tightening financial resources all members of NATO are increasingly called upon to do more with less. "
During the four day meeting, panel experts toured the Lt. Col. Daniel E. Holland Military Working Dog Hospital and Military Working Dog Training Program at Lackland AFB, the Army Medical Center and School (AMEDDC&S) Division of Veterinary Services and the DoD Food Analysis and Diagnostic Laboratory at Fort Sam Houston.
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