Page 369 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
advanced models can pump blood. The realism in the ability to simulate injuries or trauma means handlers can practise real-time scenarios such as external chest compressions, resuscitation, and many other procedures in simulated environ- ments on a frequent basis.
Role 2 Enhanced Veterinary Treatment Facility came off the back of a funding stream to bring the Urgent Operational Capability of the IE3D and HASD into Core. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Morrison RAVC, secured much of this funding while working in an ERE post at MoD Main Building. Nearly £8M over 10 years was allocated to the procurement, replacement and maintenance of the electrical medical equipment for a Role 2 Enhanced Veterinary Treatment Facility. This deployable facility is designed to support a Squadron-plus of MWDs in a deployed location, providing an advanced surgical and diagnostic capability.
The equipment was received by 1st Military Working Dog Regiment (RAVC) in 2018. The Regiment deployed the facility during a Squadron’s annual training exercise in 2020 and again in June 2021 deploying it alongside a medical treatment facility – during a hospital exercise (‘HOSPEX’). The equipment is nothing short of top-notch and has given the Regiment a clear, standardised and deployable veterinary capability.
Captain Karen Pettit RAVC, describes below the advantages of the Role 2 Enhanced Veterinary Treatment Facility in action, on Exercise for the first time with the team’s medical counterparts:
1 MWD Regt Vet Clinic Deploys on Ex CHIRON CERTIFY with 22 Field Hospital27
In June 2021 a team from 1 MWD Regt Veterinary Clinic deployed on Ex CHIRON CERTIFY with 22 Field Hospital (Fd Hosp). The aim of this biennial Exercise is to assure the Fd Hosp as it prepares to be held at Readiness for Contingency.
Over the course of four weeks, the Fd Hosp was progressively assessed – initially as the smaller, more mobile, Role 2 Forward and Basic capabilities, building to the full CBR protected NABBER28 Role 3 Fd Hosp. This would be the first time RAVC personnel were to deploy on such an Exercise alongside their medical counterparts.
From the 14th – 24th June, the Vet Clinic team, consisting of the Senior Veterinary Officer (SVO), a clinical Veterinary Officer (VO), the Hospital Manager
(HM) and two Veterinary Technicians (VTs) deployed to Barton Stacey Training Area to establish and operate the Role 2 Enhanced Veterinary Treatment Facility in close proximity to the Fd Hosp. The VO and VTs formed the exercising group, while the SVO and HM took on an observer-mentor role. The primary aim of the Exercise, from our perspective, was to mature inter-operability with our medical colleagues and to develop our own SOPs. This was also an opportunity to set up and trial the infrastructure of the Veterinary Treatment Facility (VTF), which is still under development.
Over the first two days, the team built the VTF which consisted of a series of 12’ x 12’ tents including a theatre, prep and diagnostic imaging area, ward, lab and reception. The veterinary equipment was set up in full, with assistance from 1 MWD Regt REME LAD. Once the VTF was fully established, the team then worked through a series of veterinary scenarios, where a veterinary casualty’s journey was tracked from forward MEDEVAC to the VTF through to discharge or theoretical STRATEVAC to the Firm Base.
This facilitated an examination of the process in real time and identified a number of key points where the VTF and Fd Hosp would interact closely – from receiving a veterinary patient from an ambulance exchange point, to requesting use of the hospital’s advanced imaging modalities (for example a CT scanner), to ultimately arranging for further MEDEVAC or STRATEVAC of the patient. Throughout the exercise, the Fd Hosp also provided support to the VTF in several other areas, including power and water supply and waste disposal.
The VTF was also host to a steady stream of visitors from the Fd Hosp throughout the exercise who were intrigued by the capability and wanted to understand what we do and how. Visitors ranged from clinical personnel who were keen to “compare notes” and discuss the clinical specifics of managing a veterinary patient to a variety of command and support staff who offered insight into their own area of expertise and how it could be best applied to the VTF. A particular crowd- pleaser throughout the Exercise was ‘K9 Diesel’, an interactive full-body MWD casualty simulator. Visitors could practise conducting veterinary procedures with the benefit of a (very vocal!) patient feedback. In the absence of real MWDs, K9 Diesel proved an excellent tool in explaining anatomical landmarks and other veterinary-specific nuances when speaking to medical colleagues. The Exercise was also host to a number of high-profile visitors throughout the time the Vet Clinic team were deployed, including Commander 2 Med Bde, who spent some time visiting the VTF and speaking to the team about their experience.
After ten days, the team repacked the veterinary
27 1 MWD Regt Vet Clinic Deploys on Ex CHIRON CERTIFY With 22 Field Hospital dated June 2021 by Captain Karen Pettit RAVC.
28 A modular domed tent design that provides Collective Protection (COLPRO) against chemical warfare agents.
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