Page 524 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
more importantly the MWD Teams they would potentially be working with.
MWD Trauma Treatment Op HERRICK 1982
By Captain Sophia McMillan
Camp Bastion’s Role 3 Hospital has an enviable reputation as one of the world’s leading trauma centres. From the point of injury, a rapid, highly specialised medical evacuation chain comes into action in order to deliver lifesaving treatment to soldiers out on the ground. This outstanding level of care goes beyond the treatment of injured personnel: MWDs are equally entitled to emergency medical care and are evacuated through this same chain.
As there is not the capacity to send a veterinary team forward on the helicopter to treat injured dogs, training all personnel involved in the medical evacuation chain in canine emergency care is a crucial part of the deployed Veterinary Officer (VO) and Veterinary Technician’s (VT) role. While the training programme for all deployed MWD handlers in canine first aid is well established, in recent Op HERRICKs there has been a consid- erable increase in the level of engagement with our counterparts in the medical world. This aims to improve the care of seriously injured MWD casualties during the evacuation process, until they can be received by the vet team in Camp Bastion.
All clinical personnel involved in the medical evacuation process, from the initial helicopter crew collecting the dog to the trauma team specialists working in the Emergency Department (ED) back in Camp Bastion, are now routinely trained in the most important areas of canine and emergency and critical care. This allows them to deliver life-saving treatment until the Veterinary Officer arrives. This training has been delivered and developed alongside our US Veterinary counterparts and has dramatically improved the level of care that can now be offered to injured MWDs across ISAF.
In addition to receiving a lecture on the subject, medics are put through their paces with training serials involving our trusty canine first aid mannequin “Jerry”. These serials are done both on the back of the medical helicopters, as well as in the Emergency Department. Despite Jerry being very much worse for wear after several years in Helmand, the medics involved always take their role in “treating” him very seriously. For both the vets and medics, this collaboration has
proved to be both interesting and very rewarding. Furthermore, there have been several recent cases where this level of cooperation has ensured a successful outcome for injured MWDs.
As well as this enhanced training, another recent development on Op HERRICK 19 has been the creation of a permanent specialised K9 Resuscitation Trolley in the ED itself. This contains everything from appropriate muzzles to emergency drugs and specialist monitoring equipment. The trolley lays out all required equipment in a clear, easily visible fashion. Everything is to hand and is easily maintainable. Already this has proved more than fit for purpose and has made the treatment of MWD casualties within the hospital much more efficient and effective.
AES Handler – Op HERRICK 1983
By LCpl Lauren Kearney
Op HERRICK 19 was to be my final tour of Afghanistan, and the main rumour circulating about the Operation during pre-deployment training, was that it was to be a nine-month tour. This rumour became reality as it was confirmed prior to our MST, and it made me even more determined to deploy as I volunteered for the role. After completing the notoriously long MST process, which included five weeks in Jordan deployed on Ex PASHTUN LINKS, 103 Military Working Dog Squadron was more than ready to deploy in two tranches. It was with antic- ipation, excitement and a little of the unknown that we embarked on our tour.
I deployed on Tranche 2 on 15th Sep 2013 as an AES handler with MWD “Maya”, a five-year-old female black Labrador. We had been together for nine-months previously, and this was her second tour of Afghanistan and my third. It started, as all tours do, with a seven-day RSOI package. With all the mandatory briefs, PowerPoint presentations, ranges, information on changes to our approach to operations and the situation out on the ground. We were all ready to begin our Role Specific Training (RST) and licensing phase, by the end of RSOI.
My two previous tours were as a Protection handler and Specialist Dog Handler, so this tour was to offer me some new and exciting experiences and challenges. From the outset of RSTs, I knew I was in an extremely fortunate position to have Maya; from that moment on she performed outstandingly, doing everything I wanted her to do and more. Given a 21 day target to begin the pre-license, it is with real pride that I can say Maya and I licenced complete in 18 days. This successful licence timeframe was not only exclusive to me and Maya, the
82 Chiron Calling article Autumn/Winter 2014 ‘MWD Trauma Treatment’ Op HERRICK 19 by Captain Sophia McMillan RAVC. 83 Chiron Calling article Autumn/Winter 2014, ‘AES Handler Op HERRICK 19’ by LCpl Lauren Kearney RAVC.
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