Page 370 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
equipment and dissembled the tentage for return to St George’s Barracks. There was much to take away from the experience, from refining our own capability to understanding how we can best work collaboratively with our medical colleagues, not to mention being privy to a tour of the NABBER hospital. Although a lot of questions were answered, many more were asked by the end of the Exercise.
The clinic looks forward to continuing to work with the Fd Hosps in future to further improve our inter- operability and ultimately our deployed veterinary care capability.
Movement of all MWDs to theatre is achieved using strategic airlift – Hercules C-130 (Medium Range) MR tactical transport aircraft or C-17 Globe Master Strategic over-sized heavy lift and long range transport aircraft. CASEVAC or casualty evacuation to a UK based facility, is available for deployed dogs in the event they may be injured. Nowadays, MWDs travelling into theatre and back to the UK and the Corps must comply with UK legislation; international movement of MWDs is strictly controlled and all have their own unique passports.
Transporting MWDs for training in the UK has improved immensely from a ‘bread van’ or, to Germany, in a ‘horse box’. Today, the dogs travel in well-constructeded, purpose-built vehicles fitted with all the mod-cons required by both dog and handler in transit. For larger moves dogs have been conveyed, since the late 1990s, in purpose- built trailers towed by suitable white fleet vehicles.
Feeding Army dogs during the mid-1970s to mid-‘90s normally involved canned dog food mixed with biscuits – ‘hard tac’ compo biscuits – that came from Defence sources in sealed brown metal containers. These were opened daily by the trainers or WRAC personnel (later made Kennel Assistants) and emptied, with the canned meat, put into aluminium feed bowls, which often bore the chew marks of many an eager dog. In winter the meal was mixed with ‘gravy’ made by adding hot water to the meat, which was always well received by the dogs. Nowadays all dogs, unless on ‘special diets’, are fed dry biscuit meal according to the individual dog’s weight or bespoke feeding regimen.
Training of MWDs ‘today’ versus ‘yesterday’:
According to a US Military Pamphlet circa early 1960s: “... dogs could be parachuted with little or no training.”29 The RAVC did not entirely agree with this..
The American concept was apparently very similar to how the British Army parachuted War Dogs in Europe and Burma twenty years earlier. SSgt John Carter, a trained military parachutist in the Corps, also had reservations on how eager a dog would be to exit an aircraft on the second dispatch. It was concluded that the most appropriate means would be, rather like abseiling, the dog should be attached to the handler on descent. MWDs are not normally parachuted; however, there may be occasion when this has occurred in recent years depending on tactical need. The author would be foolish to discuss training methods of MWDs in any depth; the only renowned thing any dog trainer can agree on is that they all disagree!
Training methods have developed, with science playing its role, to prove the MWDs’ capability. Training has adapted much more to suit the type of dog purchased from the European market, and this has necessitated some changes due to the way dogs are initially produced in Europe. The outcome has remained very much the same over the years; however, one notable difference is that dogs seem much more stable and less aggressive in temperament. That is not saying they are less able as Protection dogs, because they are certainly very aggressive ‘in role’ and even extremely aggressive despite, in many cases, being smaller-framed breeds. What we are finding is that the overall temperament of the dogs appears to be safer and there are fewer concerns surrounding a dog leaving the kennels for the first time – compared to how it was in the mid-70s through to the 1990s.
The care of MWDs always takes precedence over the handlers’ own needs – or perhaps put more accurately: “I need to feed or dry my dog before I go for my meal or go for my shower.” This is simply because the animal cannot look after itself.
RAVC Personnel and Training:
Within the RAVC today there are now four different types of Employment groups:
Veterinary Officer – Commissioned: Already qualified veterinary surgeons – after five/six years of higher education and personal development. On completion of a Commissioning course at RMAS Sandhurst, a one-year Personal Development Plan (PDP) is completed at the DATR. This different approach to the delivery of the VO Professional Development Phase is part of the new VO Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS). This approach strengthens early clinical training; further enhancing the quality and consistency of clinical care delivered by VOs in their formative years of Service. Their
29 MODL/BR/21D (AVR) dated 25th October 1965.
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