Page 4 - Chiron 2024

Foreword
by Colonel Mark Morrison KHVS, Chief Veterinary and Remount Officer
With the war in Ukraine now in
its second year and Russia showing no sign of moderating its expansionist intent,
the recent D-Day commemorations were particularly poignant. They offered a stark reminder that we cannot take peace in Europe for granted and reminded us of the importance of maintaining strong alliances, in particular NATO. At
the same time, they reinforced how important it is for our Armed Forces to be ready for warfighting and able to operate as part of an integrated and capable force alongside our allies.
This thinking is at the heart of the Army’s approach to the next Defence and Security Review (SDSR) and far- removed from the counter-IED focus of a decade ago. For the RAVC, the risk of such a shift in focus is that it could lead to some disinvestment in working dog capability. Whilst this, of course, remains a possibility, the hard work and innovation of the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment to demonstrate the utility of working dogs in support of deployable force elements beyond search continues to cut through and mitigates such
a risk. Moreover, the RAVC is well- represented within the secret ‘compartment’ developing the Army’s new SDSR proposition and I am confident that the case for working animals and veterinary services
is being made as powerfully and coherently as it can be. Whatever the SDSR outcome for RAVC, I know it will be made on the basis of the best evidence and a proper hearing.
In parallel to the Army’s work to prepare for the next SDSR, readers of Chiron Calling will be aware of Project VICTORIA from previous editions. The project is a review
of the organisational structure of the Army Medical Services and its constituent Corps. No decision has yet been reached about
how VICTORIA may change the 2 / Chiron Calling
organisational relationship between the human healthcare Corps, but one is expected soon. For the RAVC, as I have already reported, the Executive Committee of the Army Board has previously decided that the RAVC
will remain a Corps in its own right. The decision was reached primarily because RAVC personnel, unlike their medical services colleagues,
are Combatants under International Humanitarian Law and because most are delivering combat support effect rather than combat service support. Notwithstanding these differences, RAVC continues to sustain a core doctrine and ethos that prioritises the delivery of health and welfare (albeit of animals rather than humans). This will always connect the Corps and its members with the medical services and medical colleagues, irrespective of cap badge. Moreover, the RAVC
is now firmly nested within the new Defence Medical Function, reflecting a relationship between veterinary services and medical services that is common across the NATO nations.
For our people, I recognise that
the pace of life remains endlessly challenging. There is always more
to do and never any more resource
to do it with. I remain constantly humbled by the professionalism and performance of our soldiers, who continue to impress those alongside whom they train and operate. These pages, as ever, provide a fantastic window into the day-to-day work
of our people and I am extremely grateful to those who take the time to contribute articles. On this note, for those no longer serving, you may be disappointed that we have decided
to move to a single edition of Chiron Calling per year. Whilst the decision has been taken, in part, to lighten the burden on our serving personnel, it is primarily in recognition that social media is an increasingly important route to showcase our work. Both RAVC Regiments maintain a lively online presence on X (Twitter) and the removal of an edition of Chiron Calling is a reflection that we are
changing the way we convey our message. For those not currently following the Regiments online, I encourage you to do so. At the same time, I have asked the Regimental Secretary to explore the possibility of collating all of the social media posts into a parallel publication to Chiron Calling to capture all our social media in one place for those who do not follow it religiously and to ensure
this information is not lost to the historical record.
This edition of Chiron Calling
goes out at a time of significant change in the hierarchies of both of our Regiments. At the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment, both the Commanding Officer and the RSM have very recently changed, with
Lt Col Claire Budge and WO1 (RSM) Woodall having now handed over to Lt Col Ann O’Flynn and WO1 (RSM) Jacques, respectively. I offer my sincere thanks to outgoing CO and RSM, who leave the Regiment as strong as ever and entirely integrated into deployable formations. I also offer my congratulations to Capt Woodall, who I am delighted has accepted a commission into the RAVC and will soon be through his Entry Officer training. At the same time,
it is fantastic to see the new team
in place and a tribute to the Corps that we have such strength coming through from within. At the Defence Animal Training Regiment, Lt Col Mike Robinson will be succeeded
by Lt Col Iain Moran at the end of August, and I offer my huge thanks and congratulations respectively to each of them. Another important change for the Corps is the creation of the new post of SO2 RAVC Apprenticeships. An FTRS post, it has been filled by Major Stuart Innes, late of the Adjutant General’s Corps. As well as supporting apprenticeships, the post significantly augments the RAVC Regimental Headquarters and will play a vital role in developing RAVC through life careers, including entry into and transition out of the Army.