JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASH. -- Service members from Public Health Activity-Fort Lewis (PHA-FL), the 218th Medical Detachment Veterinary Services, and the 95th Military Working Dog Detachment, came together on April 7 to host the first-ever Joint Base Lewis-McChord Veterinary Center (VETCEN) Open House.
The event afforded attendees the opportunity to learn more about the veterinary center's mission, which includes providing animal care; food safety and sanitation; entomology and vector control; and military working dog support.
Throughout the day, children and adults from the JBLM community participated in a variety of learning workshops and hands-on activities that increased their understanding of the VETCEN's mission.
Some of those activities included a stuffed animal suturing workshop; proper hand washing procedures; education on rabies awareness and zoonotic disease; and hands-on experience with the K-9 hero dog; and stethoscopes.
According to Lt. Col. Nic Cabano, commander, Public Health Activity-Fort Lewis, the event also helped to reinforce readiness within the One Health concept for PHA-FL and the JBLM military community. The term One Health recognizes that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment. The goal of One Health is to encourage the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines -- working locally, nationally, and globally, to achieve the best health for people, animals, and the environment.
"Team cohesion was enhanced and skills refined for PHA-FL personnel, the 218th Medical Detachment Veterinary Services, and the 95th Military Working Dog Detachment," said Cabano.
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