It is 0600 at HKIA- Hamid Karzai International Airport Forward Operating Base (FOB). My alarm goes off and I awake and prepare for another day as a Soldier and Veterinarian in Kabul Afghani­stan …

Flash back 6 years ago, November 28, 2011 at a medical recruiting center with my family and a few friends, I raise my right hand and take my oath to commission as an Officer in the United States Army Veterinary Corps as a Reservist. Why you ask??? Why would a veterinarian in her mid-forties join the Army?? Well for several reasons: First, I come from a little bit of an Army family. My Great­Aunt served as a nurse in WWI. I had four Uncles that were active duty in the Army and Navy in WWII, and two more that served in the Army  from the Korean to the Vietnam era. Second, I felt I needed some­ thing new to do in my profession and the Army offered new and interesting challenges. Third, in 2010 when I submitted my appli­cation, we were in two theaters of war- Iraq and Afghanistan. I, like many others, felt a call to duty to serve my country.

Fast forward to 2015, my reserve unit in Colorado was informed that 13 Soldiers were to be acti­vated to deploy to Afghanistan. My unit had been activated two years prior to Afghanistan but we were deactivated due to draw­downs. An opportunity to deploy again!! I wanted to go and so did many of the other 75 Soldiers in my unit! We had to train, be proficient in our duty skills, be physically fit and be great Soldiers.

We had to be evaluated on many different veterinary and human food train­ing scenarios and how we would react to a variety of situations. Examples included: Military Working Dogs (MWDs) exposed to chemical, nerve agents, radiation or biologics; zoonotic diseas­es relating to human and animals and MWD trauma cases. We had to operate in field hospital situ­ations. We had to determine the safety of human food and food defense.

The day came when the primary and alternate Soldiers were cho­sen to deploy. For the next year we would train as Soldiers, veter­inarians and food inspectors. We had multiple Soldier Readiness Processing Events (SRP) and more medical exams and vac­cines than I care to remember. Your mindset changes to how you plan your life events. Now your existence revolves around the deployment. As the day gets closer, you plan, you pack and you think about the unknown. You say goodbye to family and friends and seven Dobermans. CH Gallant’s Best Kept Secret v Ciden was 11 years and it was possible it would be the last time I would see her. (By the way, Sophia is now 12 years and doing OK!) I had previously been select­ed, and accepted the assignment, to judge the Puppy and Veteran Sweeps at the 2016 DPCA Re­gional show held before the Na­tional. As a breeder, it was with great regret that I had to forego the honor of that assignment. One day I hope to be offered such an amazing opportunity again.

Our first stop, Ft. Hood, TX, was our pre-mobilization station. More training … .IED attacks, how to survive a roll over in a military vehicle, chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear attacks, cultural awareness, Afghan lan­guage classes and more weapons qualifications. We were issued equipment and weapons and more stuff to carry. We were only allowed four duffle bags. After 28 days it was finally time to board our plane to the Middle East. Once there, we had to board a military flight from Kuwait to Afghanistan. All I remember was it was July, we waited four days for a flight and it was a 128 F. The heat was incredible!!

Once in Afghanistan, I was as­signed to Kabul, the capitol city of Afghanistan. Kabul is home to 6 million people and 85 % of the population lives in poverty. Kabul sits in the mountains at 5,876 ft. The weather was very similar to Colorado, but the air was very polluted. Weekly we would hear or feel explosions and gunfire, and occasionally we would take rocket or motor rounds. My FOB was about a mile in circumference. My mission was to care for approximately 75 MWDs with my veterinary technician on mul­tiple FOBs and embassies. My food inspector was responsible for inspecting human food on eight different FOBs. My farthest FOB was over an hour away via helicopter over the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan. We traveled there about once a month. HELO travel was the saf­est means of travel and we were on the birds twice a week. Weekly we traveled to close-by FOBs in vehicles. Travel was in up- ar­mored vehicles and we were in full protective gear (kits) and our weapons had a round in the chamber. One of our FOBs was a weekly trip through an Af­ghan military training area. My mission was to travel to examine dogs. MWDs were also brought to my hospital for exam and treatment.

My MWDs were patrolled trained (protection) and were explosive detectors or narcotic dogs. Some dogs were explosive de­tectors only. I had MWDs from the United States, Denmark, UK, Norway, Poland and Turkey. My Turkish Handlers did not speak English so I would utilize Turkish military personnel and a Turkish contractor to act as my interpret­ers. I also had Afghan MWDs and Handlers. With the leadership of the United States Air Force and the Afghan National Army (ANA) a MWD program was started while I was in Kabul. It was a joint effort to assist the Afghans in training, working and caring for their K9 program.

Part of my overall mission was to provide Handler training. Topics included IV catheter placement, fluid administration/hydration, heat casualties and cold weather injuries, trauma, shock, and envenomations by poisonous creatures such as Camel Spiders, scorpions and snakes. I also conducted MWD medical man- / agement training for the human medical personnel including: medics, nurses, physician assistants and physicians in the event a veterinarian was not nearby. I developed a very close relationship with most of my Handlers. My Turkish Handlers were the ultimate hosts. Every week we enjoyed Turkish coffee or tea at their kennels (delicious)! One of my Danish Handlers would invite me to his K9 explosive detection training sessions. He taught me so much! We worked together on the ANA K9 program and we would hang out and chat almost every afternoon. We still email each other! Another friend I must mention is a Behavioral Health Physician. We became fast, best friends. We shared laughs, tears and a day of devastating loss. Many times our two teams would travel together to different FOBs for our missions. We smoked cigars, played cards and kicked ass in Dominos! “Shana ba Shana.” Those friendships and support can make or break your deployment and mission.

After five months in Afghanistan, my mission changed. I joined a Reserve Veterinary Detachment from Louisiana in Kuwait. There, I was the Officer in Charge (OIC) of several missions. One was the Kuwait Ministry of Defense Equine Program. As Army veterinarians, we supported the Kuwait Military with veterinary advice, diagnosis and treatment of their 70+ horses. I was also the OIC for the Kuwait Society For The Protection Of Animals And Their Habitat. There our mission was military to civilian, to provide veterinary care, treatments, spaying and neutering to 100+ rescue animals including dogs, cats, goats, sheep, horses and a variety of reptiles! Many animals are in the shelter for long periods of time due to animal perception and ability to care for animals in the Middle East. Most Kuwait and their veterinary programs are short and basic with a limited skill set.

My next mission was at Camp Buehring, Kuwait located near the Iraq border. As the OIC, I was responsible for US Marine and US Air Force MWDs, overseeing the food mission and assisting the medical hospital with zoonotic disease issues. We had 40+ Soldiers exposed to two potentially rabid cats. Both cats were trapped and submitted for rabies testing. Luckily both cats were negative. The cost to the Soldiers would have been rabies exposure and treatment (six injections). The cost to the US government would have been $5000.00 for each person.

After two months in Kuwait, I was assigned by my unit Commander to be the OIC for the Veterinary Mission in Iraq!! I couldn’t wait to get back to a combat environment! There were only three of us covering the entire country and Syria if needed. We expanded to seven before I left. I had MWDs, both US and Coalition dogs all over Iraq and some in Syria. Most issues were discussed and treated telephonically. If needed I would fly to examine the dog. Travel in Iraq was extremely difficult. You could get on a “bird” but it might be a week or two before only veterinary hospital in Iraq on my base in Baghdad. Air access was good there so dogs could be flown in. I also had to conduct an audit on a military contracted Bottle Water Company in Baghdad so that our troops had safe drinking water. I had over a dozen man security detail to travel into the city of Baghdad. Normally an audit similar to this one would take one day in the US. I was given three hours to get in and out and complete my audit. It was interesting and rewarding day with moderate pucker factor!

As a deployed Veterinarian in the Middle East, the mission is difficult at times and diverse. To serve with and help some of our most valuable assets, MWDs and their handlers, was a privilege and an honor. Resources can be decent or scarce depending on the location. Public Health and zoonotic diseases are ever present, especially rabies virus.

Overall, I would not trade my deployment experience. I feel lucky to have served my country in the Middle East and to have met so many incredible military and civilian service people from all over the world! So many awesome and difficult experiences were shared on my deployment. The hardest part is knowing I may never see most of them again.