Page 468 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
it’s the people who put the hours into the care and maintenance of our MWDs. It’s a vocation rather than a job for many of them. In other Units you can lock-down and ‘mothball’ equipments when they are not in use. We can’t do that here. Our MWDs require care seven days a week, 365 days a year; they’re more than an equipment item to us – they are part of the family. I truly believe this is the best Regiment in the British Army, and my soldiers hear that regularly from me!”34
1st Military Working Dog Regiment (RAVC) – 2020/2021
At the time of writing (April 2021), 1st Military Working Dog Regiment (1 MWD Regt) is part of 29 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search (EOD&S) Group which forms part of 8 Engineer Brigade within 1st (UK) Division.
1 MWD Regt is comprised of five Squadrons with a total of approximately 280 Regular and approx- imately 100 Reserve personnel. These five Sqns have specific roles and functions in the support they provide, they are named after the previous Logistics Brigades the sub-units sat under before 1 MWD Regt was created in 2010.
101 MWD Sqn is the Regiment’s Reserve Sqn that recruits and trains Reservist MWD handlers, Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Officers.
102 MWD Sqn has a primary role of providing the Very High Readiness MWD Support to 16 Air Assault Bde and 3 Commando Bde. In addition, they lead with STRIKE/Experimentation of MWD capability.
103 MWD HQ & Sp Sqn have a supporting role primarily within 1 MWD Regt. Within this Sqn are located the QMs, Veterinary, MT, LAD and other supporting departments. The small detachment of MWD personnel, located in Cyprus, also come under the 103 MWD Sqn umbrella.
104 MWD Sqn has a primary role of providing MWD handlers at varying states of readiness from Very High to High in support of the Lt Bde and Theatre Enabling Group (TEG).
105 MWD Sqn has a primary role of providing MWD support at Readiness in support of the Armoured Infantry.
1 MWD Regt is actively involved in providing MWD support in the UK and overseas Operations and Exercises. There are numerous MWD supporting activities each year that will see handlers and dogs deploy to countries such as Kenya, Canada, and France as well as other activity that takes place in countries such as USA,
34 Chiron Calling dated Autumn 2019. 35 MOD Media Release February 2021.
Pakistan, the wider Middle East, and Slovenia to name but a few. This activity is wide ranging, from direct MWD support, training and advisory roles to assisting host nations and wider Defence Engagement. Always ready to deploy in any operational environment, 1 MWD Regt at present is supporting the wider UN effort in Mali providing intimate MWD support to the UK contingent on Op NEWCOMBE.
The UK Army commitment to MINUSMA, or the UN Multi-dimensional Integrated Stabilisation mission in Mali was established during 2013. The aim of the mission is to support the transitional authorities of Mali in the stabilisation of the country.
In recent years 1 MWD Regt has been fortunate enough to one deploy High Assurance Search Dog team as part of Op NEWCOMBE.
LCpl Grant Stevens and his Operational canine companion, MWD “Bonnie”, were (in February 2021) part of the EOD team deployed to Mali. A three hundred strong Task Force of British Soldiers formed part of the ongoing UN peacekeeping mission, known as the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabi- lization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Their mission being – to build peace, stability, and security in the region. Bonnie’s role with LCpl Stevens, was to assist the EOD Search teams on the ground, providing continued assurance to our troop’s safe forward movement. MWD Bonnie was trained at the DATR before commencing her active service with 1 MWD Regt.35
Training, training and ...more training:
Team training has remained a focus for the MWDs, despite the challenges delivered by a world pandemic. Covid 19 came to try us all but 1 MWD Regiment, in many respects and with much respect, carried on regardless ...wherever possible. The following first-hand accounts give a flavour of who was training on what during 2020 – 21.
At the beginning of November 2020, the newly formed MWD Training team planned and executed a month-long training programme focussing on the foundations of training Military Working Dogs. In the following article Cpl Anthony Wood – 103 MWD Sqn shares the experience and importance of the programme:
1 MWD Training Team
Over the past year 1st Military Working Dog
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