Responsibilities of a veterinary augmentation package in support of a contingency operation

A veterinary augmentation package (VAP) was assigned to the 212th Medical Treatment Facility supporting Task Force Hawk outside Tirana, Albania, from April 15 to July 4, 1999. The VAP's mission was to provide level I and II veterinary care, including emergency treatment, stabilization, and evacuation of military working dogs, and to ensure food safety and public health. This mission allowed the VAP to act as a force multiplier and to play an integral role in force protection. In the first 30 days of the operation, the VAP was confronted with animal issues concerning housing of the military working dogs, no access to emergency equipment, antiquated sets, kits, and outfits, and stray animal control. The food safety mission initially entailed inspections of operational rations and inspection of local sources for food procurement. Operational rations were replaced by A-rations, which required a central ration breakdown point to facilitate disbursement of food. The final step was to initiate the prime vendor program so that food was delivered directly to the dining facilities. Inspections of the port at which the food was arriving and a close association with preventive medicine personnel ensured a successful prime vendor operation. Veterinarians on future deployments should be prepared to supplement sets, kits, and outfits, pack an aid bag, and work closely with preventive medicine personnel, all while possibly living under the austere conditions of a combat zone.