Page 246 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
Corps’ soldiers, which meets the needs of today’s Field Forces.
An exercise such as this encourages teamwork, leadership and allows Commanders to gain a true reflection of their soldiers’ characters when they are exhausted and under pressure.
Although today’s Main Effort for UK Forces is desert warfare, many lessons can be learnt from operating in extreme cold weather/Arctic conditions. The weather conditions in the Rocky Mountains region are extremely dry, with dehydration in both humans and dogs being a considerable threat just as it is in the desert. Lessons learnt from the previous exercise on how to get MWDs to increase water intake have already been successfully used in Iraq and Afghanistan.
With the RAVC MWD Sp Units now carrying out ever-increasingly demanding Operations, the need for robust, arduous, and varied training is essential. The training carried out on Ex CHIRON ARCTIC proved beneficial with all lessons learnt being enhanced and adapted for future operational deployment.
104 MWD Sp Unit personnel who took part on Ex CHIRON ARCTIC were: SSgt Iain Carnegie, Sgt Dave Heyhoe, Cpl Craig Tait, LCpl Shaun Cheatham, Pte Jasmine Barron and Pte Natasha Mooney.
Looking ahead, it is hoped a further Ex CHIRON ARCTIC will be organized next January because Major Ham has already applied for funding, which if approved will hopefully allow many of our younger members to experience training in a cold climate and give personnel a well-earned break from hot climates!!
Other Exercises, Expeditions and Exchanges: Exercise BORDER RUNNER is an annual event hosted by the Cyprus Military Working Dog Support Unit (CMWDSU). The Exercise is a night navigation operation utilising personnel from the regiments that constitute the Western Sovereign Base Area (WSBA) and Eastern Base Sovereign Area (EBSA). The soldiers were divided into nine teams, each consisting of four runners who were required to navigate five check points, over a 20-kilometre range, while actively avoiding MWD teams which comprised Patrol Arm True (PAT) and Tracker dogs. The overall result was good with four teams being captured three times. However, three teams managed to avoid capture altogether.32
Stockholm’s famously cold climate awaited Sgt Kev Gavin when he visited the Swedish Dog Training School to assist them with their training. Staff Sergeant Paul Bunker and Private Vanessa May also had a cold time at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri licensing the US Dog Teams trained
32 ‘Exercise Border Runner,’ Chiron Calling Summer/Autumn 2009.
at the DAC. By complete contrast the weather in the Caribbean where LCpl Dan Fiddy had been deployed trialling the use of a Drugs Detection dog aboard HMS Monmouth, had been bright and very sunny. It was hoped that more RAVC trainers would deploy on a regular basis on this ‘once in a lifetime tour’.
As the clock turns...it was again time for the DAC to nominate a worthy individual to attend Ex LONG LOOK in Australia. Another enviable opportunity for a soldier to travel to the other side of the world and share their skills alongside their peers and open their eyes and ears to new learning and life experiences. Challenging themselves and collating new ideas to potentially enhance the work of the RAVC is vital to the Corps’ survival. That is why praise is due for all those who look to the future. For example, Sgt Dai Whelton is thanked for working hard and encouraging and cajoling the younger members of the RAVC to achieve results with the Animal Care NVQs. Broadening the dog trainers’ horizons means not being bound by the traditions of the past.
RAVC on Top of the World...
Lt Col Melissa Bowerman took the Corps to the summit of Everest and herself to the peak of fitness. In her article for Chiron Calling, Lt Col Bowerman takes the reader on her very inspirational journey:
The RAVC at the Peak of Everest (2013)
Everest tests the limits of human endurance, both physically and mentally. I knew from the outset that climbing it was going to be a huge commitment. Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world – “the top of the world” – but more importantly for me it was “an ultimate mountain- eering challenge”.
In November 2010 I logged onto Facebook and declared my intent. In 2013, I would try to climb Mount Everest.
Three years before the climb I had not really done any mountaineering, so first stop was Scotland and the Army Adventurous Training Centre in Ballachulish where I got to grips with the basics of crampons, ice axe arrests and avalanche drills. The Army offers superb opportunities for progressive Adventurous Training that not only enable you to gain civilian accredited qualifications and lead expeditions, but that also help develop physical competence and strength of character vital to military success.
I wanted to give Everest my best shot and also
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