Page 305 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
and raise the standards of MWA care and
management.
• Be prepared to support and, where
identified, lead on updating and developing
doctrine.
The DATR’s reputation continues to be highly
prized and protected, as Lt Col Martyn Thompson MBE RAVC, CO DATR confirmed when he said in April 2021: “If we cannot accurately demonstrate the ethical use and whole life support and care of our MWAs to society, we will not only lose the moral high ground but also arguably will lose the right to use MWAs in Defence. The five freedoms, or domains stated here is the code we must rigorously pursue. There is no place in the organ- isation for personnel, military or civilian, who do not abide by these principles.”
The Five Freedoms being...
• Freedom from hunger and thirst; by ready access to fresh water and diet to maintain health and vigour.
• Freedom from discomfort; by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
• Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease; by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
• Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour; by
providing sufficient space,
• proper facilities and company of the animal’s
own kind.
• Freedom from Fear and Distress; by
ensuring conditions and treatment which
avoid mental suffering.
In line with the RSME vision, the DATR
continues to aspire to be a forward-looking organisation, innovative and internationally acclaimed; an exemplar for vocational training, professional education and lifelong learning across Defence. Further than this, the DATR is committed to fostering wider international relationships, building bonds of friendship across partner industries and OGD. The Regiment has an ultimate goal and aspires to be the ‘Gold Standard’ for the delivery, care and responsible ownership of working animals across the United Kingdom. In Lt Col Thompson’s words: “A world leader in the provision of military working animal expertise and veterinary care.”45
Military Canines and Handlers to
Get Hi-tech Training Facility
It was with unequivocal pride that the MOD
issued a press release in April 2021 announcing the next phase of the Melton rebuild. It was to herald the turning of the sod on an eco-friendly, carbon neutral state-of-the-art training facility for military working dogs and their handlers which was designed to be 96% self-sustaining and completed by October 2021, sadly the new facility did not open in 2021 but is scheduled to be opened by The Princess Royal in April 2022.
This was a planned added benefit to the Canine Training Squadron, the largest Squadron within the DATR. The new facility was to replace the portacabins that housed the Squadron’s HQ staff and the 1940s timber-framed buildings that were still used to train the military working dogs and their handlers. Its design included sustainable insulation in the walls and roof and ‘air-lock’ doors. Further cost-saving and ecological features included six solar panels and a battery storage facility to generate the new-build’s own electricity needs. Intelligent heating controls, renewable energy technology including a heat recovery system in the plant room and network room and a rainwater re-cycling system were included in the planning, design and sustainability of this project which was created specifically to generate much needed efficiencies in the DATR training delivery.
The new ecological facility, delivered by Amey Defence Ltd on behalf of the Defence Infra- structure Organisation, was planned in a way to help achieve the Army’s commitment to meet Net Carbon Emissions by 2050.46 And the cost savings to be invested into Army infrastructure.
To the veterans who witnessed the demise of the old wooden training facility to make way for the state-of-the-art replacement it must have represented the end of an era – all over again. Maybe the new bike racks to encourage staff to cycle to work and the eco-friendly system channelling rainwater for the soldiers to clean their boots was a slight hold on those echoes of the past but, in every other respect, the design was to the future.
Lt Col Martyn Thompson said of the project: “The planning, design and sustainability of this project will generate much needed efficiencies in our training delivery. This will ensure that the DATR continues to provide Defence with a proven capability which helps to protect our people, territories, values and interests at home and overseas.”
For some observers there will always be some
45 Written testimony Lieutenant Colonel Martyn Thompson MBE RAVC CO Defence Animal Training Regiment 2nd April 2021. 46 MOD Press Release 22nd April 2021.
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