Capt. Ambre Gejer, Rota Veterinary Treatment Facility Officer in Charge, and Capt. Jordan Yolles, Public Health Activity- Italy executive officer, performed a veterinary wellness clinic at STRIKFORNATO in Oeiras, Portugal February 22.
During the clinic, Gejer and Yolles performed sick call and wellness exams, vaccinations, blood draws and issued European Union pet passports.
There are 60 active duty service members stationed at STRIKFORNATO, many of which have their furry family members with them. For some, the language barrier in the local community is a hindrance to their pets' veterinary needs. For others, their work schedules preclude the ability to take their pets to local veterinarians.
The nearest VTF is at Naval Station Rota, which is a six-hour drive, and if not on orders, these service members are unable to gain access to the base. Maggi Donnelly, Housing Director for U.S. forces at STRIKFORNATO, organized the veterinary visit to the NATO base in Oeiras, to help ensure these pets received the care they required.
STRIKFORNATO provides support to Allied Air Command in Ramstein for the planning and execution of NATO Ballistic Missile Defense. This is accomplished primarily through integration of U.S. naval and amphibious forces, in order to provide assurance, deterrence, and collective defense for the Alliance.
In the future, Gejer and Yolles hope to continue to build on this relationship and that wellness clinics can occur with greater frequency and regularity as these missions help to foster inter-organizational cooperation.
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