Joint Army partnership keeps K9s mission ready
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The force that helps keep the 6th Security Forces Squadron military working dogs fit to fight is none other than the U.S. Army veterinarian team from the 45th Medical Group at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida.
“When it comes time to look at dogs for missions such as supporting the Secret Service, local police departments or deployments; if their health is not 100% then we cannot deploy those dogs,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jerome Scott, 6th SFS MWD trainer. “We do keep track of what dogs are deployable at the time.”
The Army is the only branch with veterinarians who service all branches through its veterinary corps. The veterinary corps cares for military working dogs, ceremonial horses, and working animals for key governmental agencies, as well as pets owned by service members.
When 6th SFS MWD Wwilly and her handler, MWD Trainer Staff Sgt. Jerome Scott, are not on patrol or conducting health-and-welfare inspections here at MacDill, they are on temporary duty assignments to the U.S. Secret Service or deployed internationally.
“The MWD program is all managed by the Air Force, but we do come to the Army for all of our veterinary needs, whether it be emergency or maintenance,” said Scott.
Scott’s MWD Wwilly, has double first letters in her name because she was born and raised through the Air Force’s MWD Breeding and Foster Program at the 341st Training Squadron Military Working Dog Center whelping facility on Joint Base San Antonio Lackland, Texas.
Staying mission ready for 6th SFS MWD Wwilly on this particular morning means going to the veterinarian for her annual dental checkups, also known as a comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment (COHAT).
“Usually from three or four years old, we’re doing COHATs annually,” said Army Capt. Kylie Zenchenko, the 45th Medical Group veterinary officer in charge. “Since the COHATs get done on a higher frequency, we don’t expect to have a lot of issues with the mouth.”
Zenchenko also oversees the mission and kennels at MacDill AFB, Naval Air Station Key West, Florida and Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico.
The small operation room is buzzing with activity. Under the supervision of Army Capt. Sarah Smith, a veterinary corps officer stationed out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, animal care specialists are calculating medicine doses and preparing the operating room.
Once Wwilly arrives at the MacDill Veterinarian Treatment Facility, samples are collected for laboratory analysis and to identify if any parasites are present. The animal care specialists check Wwilly’s vitals for the dental procedure. Anesthesia is administered and monitored as Wwilly receives her dental cleaning and radiographs. It’s just another morning for the Army veterinarian team helping MWDs maintain peak performance.
“We run through a procedure like this days beforehand just to make sure everything goes smoothly,” said Smith. “We want to make sure we have enough oxygen, emergency drugs if necessary, the right tube sizes or even something as simple as dental paste.”
Readiness starts with planning, and thanks to the joint partnership the 6th SFS has with the 45th Medical Group veterinary team, MacDill’s MWDs are ready for action.