Competence center for veterinary service and army animals
The Competence Center for Veterinary Service and Army Animals (short: Vet D u A Animals) was created as part of the Army XXI and unites all branches of the Swiss Army that have to do with animals.
These are the following branches of service:
- Train : material transport by horse, patrol rider
- Veterinary troops: care for sick and injured animals and disease control
- Dog handlers: protection and disaster dogs
- Farriers
Location
The location is near Schönbühl , approx. 10 km north of Bern. The competence center uses the former depot of the Swiss Army Im Sand . The weapons area includes a 300 m shooting range and positions for combat exercises.
history
The former Remontendepot was built at the beginning of the 20th century for the quarantine and training of imported horses and for the cavalry of the Swiss Army. In the course of time, the remont depot was no longer needed and was converted. The farriers and the dog training center (HAZ) were housed here. At first the veterinary troops were stationed in the sand. With the Army XXI, the train from St. Luzisteig also came to this location.
Recruit school
The recruiting school in the competence center stands out from other functions / training courses in that it mainly works with animals. According to the guiding principle of the school, "first the animal, then the soldier", soldiers are expected to forego their own wishes in the interests of the animals. The soldiers receive in-depth training in their function and in handling the animals. Many of the soldiers also work privately with animals or have completed appropriate professional training (for example farriers). Therefore, for many, the recruit school is a special and particularly intensive addition to their apprenticeship.
It is a comparatively small school, the whole company comprises only about 80 recruits. In the Competence Center Vet D u A Animals only two recruit schools of 18 weeks each take place, one spring and one summer RS, the winter RS is not applicable. Train, veterinary, dog handler and farrier soldiers are trained here.
Every May and September there is a visiting day in the Comp. Vet D un A Animals, on which families, friends and generally interested people can gain an insight into the work of the recruits at this school.
tasks
In addition to being responsible for training, the competence center is also responsible for deploying the formations. According to their RS, depending on the craft they have learned, the soldiers do their service in dog handler company 14, veterinary company 3 or one of the six training columns (corresponds to one department).
Dog handler
The tasks of the dog handlers are divided into two categories:
- Protection dog handlers: Your task is to guard or secure people or places.
- Disaster dog handler: Your dogs are used as assistance for rescue troops and civil defense in natural disasters. The main task of the dogs is to find buried people.
Since the dogs have to stay in training for their task, all dogs belong to the soldiers. It is your duty to ensure that the team is always ready for action, even outside of work. The dog handler company usually does its job in small detachments, so that a number can be called up at any time if necessary.
Veterinary company
The veterinary officers are the military's veterinarians. Together with their company, they operate mobile animal clinics and care for sick or injured animals. In addition, the company is trained for subsidiary operations to combat animal diseases, namely the disposal of large amounts of animal carcasses, the disinfection of contaminated farms and the creation of quarantine zones.
Train columns
→ see also: Train (military)
The training columns are by far the largest units subordinate to the competence center. Your tasks are roughly divided into three parts:
- Material transport in all locations, for example in rough terrain, with interrupted transport routes or in very bad weather. Especially in the mountains, the train is used for transport when other options, such as helicopters or cable cars, are out of the question.
- Subsidiary missions in the context of disaster relief to support the armed forces already deployed. Cleaning up after storm, flood or avalanche damage; Supply transports to cut off and / or difficult to access areas in any weather.
- Site surveillance. This task was given new attention with the reorientation within the framework of Army XXI. Soldiers from the trainee unit receive training as patrol riders in the context of area security, for example for border surveillance tasks.
