Assignment provides challenges for man and beast

By Col. Bob Vogelsang
USAPHC

June 23, 2011

Photo by Sgt. Samantha Mullen/Yuma Proving Ground PAO Capt. Emily Pieracci, right, officer in charge at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., tests Tech. Sgt. Timothy Evans, U.S. Air Force dog handler, on the clinical signs of gastric dilatation and volvulus in military working dogs using one of the YPG training “dummy dogs.” The MWD handlers are trained to perform all needed procedures to stabilize the MWDs for transport to the nearest veterinary facility.

YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz. — In Yuma, Arizona, the temperature can rise to 115 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and fall to 13 degrees in the winter. Most people don’t care that the military uses this huge piece of otherwise desolate land for testing munitions or vehicles, but one thing you don’t hear about that happens at YPG and another hot, dry installation, 29 Palms Marine Corps Base, Calif., is the military working dog training and veterinary support.

A mock town dubbed “K9 Village” was built at YPG complete with mud-brick houses, shops and improvised explosive devices. The idea was to mimic the deployed environment to ensure more realistic training. Dog teams go to YPG for two to four weeks of pre-deployment training.

However, one thing initially missing from the plan was veterinary care. The YPG veterinary section is small with one Veterinary Corps officer and three animal care specialists. This section also is responsible for the food protection and animal care missions not only at the Army proving ground, but also the Marine Corps Air Station close to Yuma.

The veterinary staff provides first-aid instruction to dog handlers during the training. This three-day training covers preventing, recognizing and treating heat injuries; treating wounds; placing IVs and giving fluids; snake and arthropod bites/stings; and general dog maintenance. The last day is centered around a hands-on evaluation of the handlers, wearing all their gear and body armor, performing care on dog mannequins.

The importance of this veterinary training was demonstrated during one summer training exercise. A working dog collapsed with heat exhaustion. His body temperature was 110 F. The vet staff immediately took control, starting IVs and cooling and then contacted the Marines at the air station to coordinate a medical evacuation of the dog to San Diego where more definitive care could be provided. Everybody worked together and in the end, the dog made it.

At 29 Palms, the Marines conduct a four-week, field training exercise which includes dog teams that must participate and certify prior to deploying with their battalions. Generally, 13 to 26 dogs go with each battalion, but 29 Palms also is the place the III Marine Expeditionary Force has their large dog platoon kennel housing about 40 dogs, so the work at 29 Palms can be consistently busy. Like YPG, the veterinary section is small with one officer and only one animal care specialist. This unit also has the civilian pet mission and the veterinary officer is responsible for food protection duties.

The veterinarians at these duty sites are frequently new graduates and new officers so they have to learn fast. Their technicians usually having only one or two other assignments before YPG or 29 Palms and sometimes it is their first duty site as well.

These sites and their contributions to the military working dog program are yet another, important part of the new Public Health Command.

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