If you have ever wondered what it is like to be a veterinarian or military professional, you will be interested to know what life is like for both. Elliott Garber, DVM, MPH details what his life is like as a veterinarian and active officer in the United States military.
Army Veterinarian: Do you have what it takes?
“An army vet? Why in the world do we need them?” This is the classic answer I get when I meet someone new and I answer their question about the kind of work I do.
Although I have now heard hundreds of times, I never tire of answering because I had the same surprise and curiosity when I learned about this unique career opportunity within the veterinary field.
So yes, I am a veterinarian in the Army. In the same way that the military needs doctors, nurses and lawyers (remember the old TV shows M * A * S * H and JAG ?), It also needs veterinarians.
After my new friends think about it for a minute, they usually realize that the idea is not as surprising after all. They describe the brave horses used in cavalry throughout the ages, and the brave explosive dogs that save lives in Afghanistan today. This is an important part of our work, providing high medical and surgical care for military animals of a different species.
A world profession
For a more personal window into my work with working military dogs (MWDs), read this essay published in The New York Times about one of my dogs who died in combat last year.
You can also watch my short story, No Dog Left Behind , which features a Special Forces vet facing a special situation when one of the dogs in his care disappears during an attack in Afghanistan.
To maintain our capabilities for these military animals, we also provide veterinary services for military pets on a worldwide basis.
The surgeries I perform and the illnesses I assess on a soldier animal at my home clinic will make me better prepared to deal with a sick or injured work dog in a warlike environment.
Along with military animals and pets, military veterinarians also play a major role in supporting the public health mission to the community. We work with physicians and preventive medicine experts to develop strategies for preventing zoonotic diseases, particularly focusing on rabies in areas of the world where this is still a serious concern. We also oversee teams of food inspection soldiers who ensure that all food sold to military service members and their families comes from safe sources and is stored and prepared appropriately.
As a veterinarian, I travel the world conducting audits at food and beverage production facilities to ensure that they are following proper food safety standards. This part of the job has led me to Ghana for a Coca-Cola bottle factory, to Greece for a pork factory, and to Israel for a Ben & Jerry ice cream factory, among others.
Most young graduate veterinarians spend the first five or six years in the Army performing a combination of the above tasks.
Because we are the only clinical veterinarians in the military, we can be assigned to any type of US missions worldwide. I started at a large military base, then went overseas to Egypt to support a multinational peacekeeping force for a year, and finally moved to Sicily where I now worked at a small Navy base.
Career Opportunities Beyond Veterinary Work
Many military veterinarians are content to do one or two tasks like this before returning to the civilian world to pursue their career goals. Most of us come first through the health care scholarship program, which pays for our tuition and living expenses for one to four years of veterinary school. This program has a three-year active service obligation. Other veterinarians enlist in their military after graduating from school, often receiving a good loan repayment reward in exchange for a minimum three-year service commitment.
Although most of us end up doing the more regular job I have described above, there are many unique opportunities that early career army veterinarians can volunteer for. Special Forces veterinarians must be qualified in the air and often go after enemy lines to work with the local population on animal health projects that help build goodwill and stabilize dangerous situations. The Navy Navy Program always has several military veterinarians working alongside their civilian counterparts to provide care for program dolphins and sea lions. Humanitarian missions use military veterans to provide veterinary assistance to poor countries around the world.
The military also presents some very attractive options for veterinarians who are considering serving a full 20-year career. Through the Long-Term Health Education and Training Program, the Army will pay for veterinarians to return to school for an MPH, Ph.D., or any number of clinical residency and research programs. I recently passed my board exams to be certified as a Diploma at the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. We also have board certified surgeons, radiologists, emergency / critical care specialists, laboratory animal veterinarians and pathologists at the Veterinary Corps. These specialists perform a large number of jobs in clinical medicine and in research and development. Many of them go to academia, industry,
Requirements to be a veteran
People often ask me about physical fitness requirements for military veterinarians. We must meet the same standards as all other soldiers. This means that you will be subject to an assessment of your medical history and intensive medical examination before being admitted to the military. We should also take a physical exam four times a year that measures our ability to meet some minimum requirements for push-ups, sit-ups, and a two-mile run.
Finally, our height and weight are measured in each of these tests to ensure that we meet the standard. The requirements are different for men and women, and they also vary based on your age.
One of the most important things that military veterinarians must acknowledge is that we are not ultimately in control of our lives and careers while on duty. Although we can express our preferences about what tasks we would like and if we want to settle in a combat zone, at the end of the day it is always Uncle Sam’s decision to use us as he sees it best. I’m still not sure if I will make a career in the Army Veterinary Corps, but I have really enjoyed my experience so far. We saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt that I would have done without the scholarship program and I have gotten to travel the world putting my veterinary skills to good use. If you are interested in learning more about my experiences in the Army,
So next time someone asks you why we have veterinarians in the Army, I hope you will be as ready as I am to tell them about the important roles we play in the service of our country.
