Time to get your hands dirty

Article and Photos by Maj. Bryan D. Woods, 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Some might say that the best place to get an education is down on the farm. Well, 10 Soldiers from the 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade saw the benefits of their education March 2, at the Texas A&M Campus.

             Medically trained Soldiers are attending the six-week Civil Affairs Medical Sergeant’s Course, hosted by the Fort Sam Houston Army Medical Department Center and School, and the Veterinarian Medical Park Department at Texas A&M. The course is intended to train Soldiers to become a senior medic for a four-man team civil affairs team in order to support global civil affairs missions.

            “This training course is critical to our Civil Affairs missions as most of our personnel are medical personnel,” said Lt. Col. David Sculli, the 85^th CA Bde. operations officer. “We have an average of 25% of our unit made up of medical personnel expected to provide professional veterinarian advice to farmers concerning the health and well being of their animals in austere environments such as areas in South America and Africa.”

            Some of the Soldiers that have never been on a farm were able to have full day of hands-on training with a variety of large to small-scale livestock ranging from: cattle, equines, goats, poultry, and swine.  This is to ensure they receive a full well-rounded exposure to the wide variety of animals they might see during a routine civil affairs mission.

            “These Soldiers are here for 5 to 6 weeks going through a program involving extensive preventive medicine, food hygiene, veterinarian care, and finally a week of dentistry,” said Lt Col. Cheryl Sofaly, the Chief of the Animal Branch, Army Medical Department Center and School.  “This department at the university provides the hands on training with the large animals that we cannot provide on Fort Sam Houston,” said Sofaly

The animals residing on the premises are managed under the Independent Protection Rehabilitation Program, which is a Department of Defense program that provides animals for students as training aides.

            This course is not for the faint at heart.  Soldiers are shown in detail, the common diseases senior medics will observe in the field. They are also taught the proper handling of animals from the field, to slaughter, and finally to the dinner table.

            “We show the students common diseases such as aeronautic and zoological importance when it comes to the health of humans,” said Sofaly. “Depending on where they are working, they could be asked to perform disease management control - we discuss with them some of the things they will need to consider when managing this program.”       

            By the end of the food hygiene phase, Soldiers will take a tour of a slaughter facility with a Department of Agriculture health inspector. They will review the proper management of the animal selection process, the sanitary requirements, and finally physically observe a slaughter take place.

            “We also teach them proper management of animal slaughters, as this will be commonly exposed to in the field,” said Sofaly.

            Friday’s demonstration provided the Soldiers with only an exposure and awareness to the veterinarian field.           

            “Our job is to educate future vets to perform globally in order to properly advise villagers on the health of their animals,” said Dr. Clay Ashley, an instructor with the Veterinarian Medical Park.

            “Do not ever try to pretend that you know more information about the animals than the local villagers,” said Ashley.

            The 85^th CA Bde. is headquartered on Fort Hood, Texas. It is an active duty brigade with one activated civil affairs battalion. The brigade is in the process of standing up four more civil affair battalions with two activating later this year. The other battalions are slated to activate in 2013. 

Spc. Tia French draws a blood sample from a heifer while being properly restrained.  Spc. French and nine other medically trained Soldiers assigned to the 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade are participating in the Civil Affairs Medical Sergeants Course held at the Veterinarian Medical Park Department at the Texas A&M University. The university partners with the U.S. Army Medical Center and School at Fort Sam Houston to provide critical Civil Affairs training for these future senior medics assigned to 4 person civil affair teams.  After completion from the course, they will be expected to perform a wide variety of duties from food hygiene to vet care, and dentistry within austere environments while. (Photo by Maj. Bryan Woods, 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs)

Sgt 1^st Class Deontae Karron learns the proper method of trimming a goats hoofs while Sgt. 1^st Class Eddie Cisneros properly restrains the goat during this delicate process. During this process a vet must be able to inspect the hoofs for common diseases and bacteria that routinely grows that will result is serious health concerns later down the road for the animal.   Spc. and Spc are two of ten other medically trained Soldiers assigned to the 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade who are participating in the Civil Affairs Medical Sergeants Course held at the Veterinarian Medical Park Department at the Texas A&M University. The university partners with the U.S. Army Medical Center and School at Fort Sam Houston to provide critical Civil Affairs training for these future senior medics assigned to 4 person civil affair teams.  After completion from the course, they will be expected to perform a wide variety of duties from food hygiene to vet care, and dentistry within austere environments while. (Photo by Maj. Bryan Woods, 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs)

Pvt. 1^st Class Christopher Orange gently restrains a young pig while Pvt. 1^st Class Victoria Lett draws blood during an exercise Friday Mar 2. Soldiers practice the importance of physical exams, proper restraining practices. animal hygiene, and veterinarian care  Medically trained Soldiers assigned to the 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade are participating in the Civil Affairs Medical Sergeants Course held at the Veterinarian Medical Park Department at the Texas A&M University. These animals used are managed under the Independent Protection Rehabilitation Program, which is a Department of Defense managed program used to provide animals for students as training aides. The university partners with the U.S. Army Medical Center and School at Fort Sam Houston to provide critical Civil Affairs training for these future senior medics assigned to 4 person civil affair teams.  After completion from the course, they will be expected to perform a wide variety of duties from food hygiene to vet care, and dentistry within austere environments while. (Photo by Maj. Bryan Woods, 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs)

Soldiers practice the importance of physical exams, proper restraining practices, animal hygiene, and veterinarian care  Medically trained Soldiers assigned to the 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade are participating in the Civil Affairs Medical Sergeants Course held at the Veterinarian Medical Park Department at the Texas A&M University. These animals used are managed under the Independent Protection Rehabilitation Program, which is a Department of Defense managed program used to provide animals for students as training aides. The university partners with the U.S. Army Medical Center and School at Fort Sam Houston to provide critical Civil Affairs training for these future senior medics assigned to 4 person civil affair teams.  After completion from the course, they will be expected to perform a wide variety of duties from food hygiene to vet care, and dentistry within austere environments while. (Photo by Maj. Bryan Woods, 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs)

Sgt. 1^st Class Nikisha Thornhill provides a goat with a manicure during the Civil Affairs Medical Sergeants course.  Ten Medically trained Soldiers assigned to the 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade are participating in the Civil Affairs Medical Sergeants Course held at the Veterinarian Medical Park Department at the Texas A&M University. These animals used are managed under the Independent Protection Rehabilitation Program, which is a Department of Defense managed program used to provide animals for students as training aides. The university partners with the U.S. Army Medical Center and School at Fort Sam Houston to provide critical Civil Affairs training for these future senior medics assigned to 4 person civil affair teams.  After completion from the course, they will be expected to perform a wide variety of duties from food hygiene to vet care, and dentistry within austere environments while. (Photo by Maj. Bryan Woods, 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs)