Page 40 - Chiron Calling Autum 2021/Spring 2022

Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Training Course
by Capt Bryony Whitaker
In mid-January 2022, eight lucky Veterinary Officers had the opportunity to travel down to
London in order to complete 3 days of practical Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) training, having warmed up with a detailed 8-hour online learning package in order to gain the most from this.
Centrally located just South of Vauxhall, Central CPD was based in a converted pub and the group were pleasantly surprised on Monday morning when we arrived. Not
only did it have a coffee machine, jellybean dispenser and fresh pastries but also seemed to be a highly professional set up with excellent staff for whom nothing was too much to ask.
Our first morning began with some introductions and meeting our course lead for the next couple of days, Professor Nick Bacon. Nick is a senior consultant and clinical director at Fitzpatrick Referrals
Soft Tissue and Oncology Hospital in Guildford (sister hospital to the famous Fitzpatrick Orthopaedic Referrals from the TV show ‘Super Vet’). He is a very experienced surgeon with a passion for teaching. The group were very lucky to have Nick and benefitted from one to one tuition and his wealth of knowledge that underpinned this.
During the surgical part of the course, the first 2 days, we practiced surgical techniques as taught by Nick on fox cadavers. We were
able to practice procedures such
as gastropexy (twisted gut repair), foreign body removal and chest drain placement as well as a whole host of other common emergency surgical skills. These procedures can be lifesaving and are time critical
so being confident and competent
is essential for a success. Through the dedication, skill and care of our handlers, we don’t see too many emergencies in our MWD population
whilst in camp, so the group were very grateful for the chance to practice when the environment was a little less stressful than it would be in a real life emergency!
The third day was a little less gory and began with an interesting lecture on how to manage heat
Post axe throwing competition (Rear Row
L to R – Capt Adam Young, Capt James Bladon, Capt Andy Rose. Front Row L to R – Lt Lucy Gimson, Lt Naomi Thomas).
Battlefield Study to the National Memorial Arboretum
by Pte Beau Hartley (104 MWD Sqn)
On the 15 November 2021, members of 2 Troop from 104 Military Working Dog
Sqn visited the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA). Individuals selected from the group were tasked to research a certain event or memorial, and then brief the rest of the group on the topic. I, Pte Beau Hartley, was chosen to talk about Operation MARKET GARDEN, which was interesting to research as my knowledge of the operation was limited.
No 2 Troop arrived in the morning 38 / Chiron Calling
at the NMA and viewed a various memorials before we started the guided tour in the afternoon. The sheer volume of memorials and
the stories behind them make it impossible to take all in in one day. However, we had two very helpful and knowledgeable guides who talked about a few of their selected pieces around the site. These varied from World War Two monuments, to a statue which signifies the post- traumatic stress soldiers have faced in the past (called ‘Shot at Dawn’) or the trauma that soldiers face
today. As we were guided around the arboretum, those selected
to talk did so as we reached the relevant memorial. I found it interesting hearing the history of the monuments and the stories of the soldiers they were dedicated to, finding out that the Basrah and Bastion walls were both relocated from Iraq and Afghanistan made the monument that much more significant.