CANNON AIR FORCE, N.M. —
U.S. Army Veterinary Corps members from a Public Well being Exercise tenant unit at Kirtland Air Power Base performed quarterly tactical care coaching with U.S. Air Power twenty seventh Particular Operations Safety Forces Squadron Navy Working Canine (MWD) handlers, Feb. 14, 2022.
As a few of the solely navy veterinarians in New Mexico, the Army animal care specialists traveled from Kirtland AFB to coach the canine handlers for emergency fight care conditions to allow them to administer first assist to their canines in subject situations the place veterinary providers are unavailable.
“The canine handlers are skilled in emergency fight care to allow them to deal with subject accidents earlier than a vet can get in contact with them,” mentioned U.S. Army Capt. Cynthia Edgerton, Army Veterinary Corps officer. “A number of the processes we go over embody eye accidents, limb accidents, shock recognition, dehydration, and cold and hot climate accidents.”
With the classroom coaching and hands-on laboratory train, handlers have been in a position to familiarize themselves with numerous wraps and bandages by making use of them to an MWD from the 27 SOSFS. This granted every handler a chance to deal with a simulated life-threatening harm on a canine.
“The vets train us MWD care strategies to make use of in instances of emergency,” mentioned Air Power Workers Sgt. Leah Abelar, 27 SOSFS navy working canine handler. “We do not have a vet on website right here and the closest veterinary remedy facility is three and a half hours away. An actual life emergency would require us to have the ability to suppose on our toes and supply doubtlessly life-saving care to the navy working canine.”
The Army Veterinary Corps is important to the Division of Protection by offering assist for all branches of the navy.
“Having the ability to do built-in coaching on a quarterly foundation not solely retains us sharp as handlers, nevertheless it additionally brings the ingredient of with the ability to study from our brothers and sisters from totally different branches,” mentioned Abelar.
These expertise taught to the handlers are important to operations in deployed places, the place MWDs are utilized usually.
“MWDs are a useful asset to the Air Power as a result of they can not solely execute duties on day-to-day operations, but additionally function a bodily deterrent, a drive multiplier, and are in a position to sniff out hazard,” mentioned Abelar. “There isn’t any piece of navy or civilian expertise equal or higher than a canine’s nostril.”
