COLLEGE STATION – The 43rd Veterinary Medical Detachment from Fort Hood deployed to Disaster City® to conduct a disaster exercise in animal decontamination.

It’s important to deal with animals in a disaster as well as people, said Capt. Kerrie Farrar with the 43rd Veterinary Medical Detachment. There are also search and rescue and other working dogs that might need treatment out in the field as well, she added.

Army veterinarians assist civilian agencies with animal medical care capabilities and public health support during a disaster response. The exercise, held May 11-13, was the first one the group has held at Disaster City.

“We came here in part to work with the Veterinary Emergency Team (members) who are actually doing these real-world missions,” she said. “Training with them enables us to learn from the experts. And we came to Disaster City because it’s an internationally known facility and adds an element of realism.”

About the 43rd Veterinary Detachment

The 43rd Veterinary Detachment is made up of veterinarians,veterinary food inspectors and animal care specialists. In June, the detachment will assume a first responder mission should a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear accident happen anywhere in the United States. As part of a larger decontamination task force, the Army is counting on the detachment’s soldiers and veterinarians to be the technical experts when it comes to providing animal medical care. which could be deployed to care for animals following a catastrophic event anywhere in the United States.

Read more in the Fort Hood Sentinel.
Watch a news story on KBTX.com.

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