(b) Veterinary officers maintain liaison with state and Federal agencies
and report any zoonotic disease outbreaks. An example of the veterinarian's
involvement in zoonotic diseases is the Rabies Advisory Board. A Rabies Advisory
Board is established at every military hospital.
(4) The prevention and control of other communicable diseases of man in
those areas of responsibility specified by the surgeon.
c. Research and Development. Veterinary Corps officers are assigned to
laboratories of the Medical R&D Command and to research facilities of other Federal
agencies, both civilian and military, throughout the world. Army veterinarians hold a
variety of positions in biomedical research and serve as principal or assistant scientific
investigators or directors of research. These projects include research in food
technology and hygiene; research on animal diseases of military significance;
development of new methods of biologic improvement; and other projects in the areas
of bacteriology, virology, immunology, pathology, and radiobiology.
d. Animal Care. The fourth major function of the Army Veterinary Service is the
one historically assigned--that of animal care.
(1) The Army owns approximately three miIIion laboratory animals and a
few horses. The Army Veterinary Service is responsible for providing complete
veterinary care for these animals wherever they may be. In addition, Army veterinarians
provide complete health care to Government-owned military working dogs. These
military working dogs are deployed worldwide and are valued as high as ,000 each.
(2) Only limited care is provided for animal pets of military personnel. In
most places in the US, animal care is limited to those measures necessary to prevent or
control the spread of zoonotic diseases. In overseas areas and in isolated posts in the
US where adequate civilian veterinary care is not available, the Army Veterinary
Services provides more extensive care for animal pets as authorized by the HSC of
major overseas commander.
3-24. OFFICER DUTIES
a. Duties of veterinary officers are both professional and staff and are directly
related to the major functions of the Army Veterinary Service. The following are
included among the professional duties.
(1) Veterinary officers perform inspection of subsistence and advise
appropriate authority on its acceptability to include the following:
(a) Sanitary inspection of establishments in which foods are produced,
processed, prepared, manufactured, stored, or otherwise handled.
MD0004
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