Page 374 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
2001/02 earned £16,801 per annum, rising to £21,920 by 2009/10, whilst a SSgt Level 7 on the Lower pay band earned £28,904 per annum, rising to £37,500 by 2009/10.
Pay 2000 was instigated for all Army personnel during 2001. New ‘high’ and ‘low’ pay bands, which caused much annoyance within the dog handler fraternity, as personnel pay rates changed several times as they were promoted in rank, often meaning there was no incentive for promotion pay wise. In 2016, all Army trades were categorised under four supplements based on factors including the knowledge and skill required for each role and the level of complexity and the usual working environment of the soldiers. In order for one trade to rise, another trade – under the New Employment Model – had to fall elsewhere in the Army.
However, the RAVC’s soldiers were finally identified as very deserving of the ‘Army Trade Supplement Placement’ which was announced in early April 2021. This finally saw the good work of many RAVC soldiers recognised and with it a substantial pay increase which took effect from 1st April 2021. Not before time.
More importantly, a moral component was fulfilled, bringing the RAVC soldier who works alongside the Infantry and the Engineers so often ‘on the front line’ and in many cases ‘at point’, on equivalent pay scales.
Therefore, a Cpl on promotion will now be paid £32,796 per annum and a SSgt earns £42,056 per annum on promotion to that rank, before any deductions are made.37
British Army Military Working Dog Capability:38
Resourcing an unknown and therefore uncertain future is a perpetual problem for any branch of the Armed Forces. The Army Capstone Doctrine can only describe the Army’s vision, a guide to how it intends to employ the broad list of the capabilities it has at its disposal in an operational environment.
Rather like the ‘capstone’ in the title, which locks a structure together, the MWD capability’s unique quality, supports the Army’s readiness. Recognition of the dogs’ role in combat and on peacekeeping deployments has grown over time to the point where teams are called upon, not as a matter of choice but necessity.
MWD capabilities can be employed in support of a variety of force elements and activities. The
full document below provides a useful overview of the importance of the MWD capability in modern warfare and therefore its worthiness of future investment:
CAPSTONE DOCTRINE
“It is not unreasonable to say that the War Dog is probably more firmly established as a part of the Armed Forces than ever before. Despite the breathtaking advances in modern armaments, there will always be scope for the talents of trained dogs, no matter where the Army is called upon to operate. Nothing that man has invented or is likely to invent in the foreseeable future can replace those qualities of which have made the dog such an outstanding member of the animal kingdom and the devoted servant of man.”
Brigadier George Young MBE, Director of the RAVC, 1953
“The capability they (Military Working Dogs) bring to the fight cannot be replicated by man or machine. By all measures of performance their yield outperforms any asset we have in our inventory. Our Army (and military) would be remiss if we failed to invest more in this incredibly valuable resource.”
General David H Petraeus, 2008
Introduction
The Army 2020 analysis identified three primary areas for UK Army Activity: Contingency Inter- vention Operations; Overseas Capacity Building; and UK Engagement and Resilience. The Future Character of Conflict analysis assessed that the future operating environment will be characterised by the five Cs; Congested, Cluttered, Contested, Connected and Constrained.39 With operations expected to take place more often in areas of high civilian population density,40 the now well-estab- lished expectation of a strong force protection posture will be coupled with an increasing drive to reduce collateral damage, including injury to non-combatants, as well as to employ non-lethal capabilities where appropriate.
Military Working Dogs offer a range of agile, detection and non-lethal protection capabilities which offer utility in each of the 3 areas of activity envisaged by Army 2020.
A capability dating back to the classical era and well used during World War Two and Malaya for example, the employment of MWD during
37 Other Ranks Pay Adjustments 2021DIN01-055 dated 1st April 2021.
38 MWD Capstone Doctrine dated circa October 2013.
39 A 6th ‘C’ – Combined – is now often added to recognise the enduring Multi-National nature of conflict.
40 Future Land Operating Concept (FLOC), Joint Concept Note 2/12. May 12 – Paragraph 203: Operations in urban and littoral regions.
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