Photo By Staff Sgt. Christina Westover | Service members with Veterinary Readiness Activity, Hawaii (VRA-HI), supervise the...... read more read more
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Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii - U.S. Army Soldiers with the Veterinary Readiness Activity, Hawaii (VRA, HI) and Airmen from the 15th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron conduct food safety inspections at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam pier before the food items are uploaded to the USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11) ship to be transferred to USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) ship for resupply at sea operations in support of Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024, July 17, 2024.
The Army Veterinary Corps is responsible for the inspection and certification of food sources, ensuring they meet the highest safety standards. This involves rigorous checks for contaminants, pathogens, and potential sabotage. In the INDOPACOM region, where diverse food sources and suppliers exist, the vigilance of Army veterinarians ensures that every meal provided to service members is safe and nutritious. This preventative approach mitigates risks of foodborne illnesses, which can significantly impact operational readiness.
Twenty-nine nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 27 to Aug. 1. The food inspection specialists help ensure that all of the personnel participating are able to have access to quality food.
“Being a veterinary food inspection specialist is one of the most important jobs in the Army,” said Sgt. Endya Ellison, the noncommissioned officer in charge at the VRA. “Being able to ensure that the service members are getting safe and quality food that is up to par is of utmost importance. Our job is often overlooked because it’s assumed that the food is safe because it’s sold in stores or served at the dining facilities, but we are the people behind the scenes ensuring that.”
The day to day activities for the food inspection personnel vary by the mission. The shipments of food are thoroughly tracked from the point of origin to the destination, and inspected upon delivery as well. They are inspected for mold, temperature changes causing the food to go bad, expiration dates, and other safety regulations.
“Our daily activities consist of inspecting the commissaries, the shopettes, the ships and any other food service establishments on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,” said Ellison. “Every item of food is checked at the point of delivery to ensure that the manufacturer and transport of the items is safe. If it’s not good quality, we notate it and send it back due to food safety concerns.”
The VRA doesn’t just cover food inspection and safety. It also covers the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force animal clinics on the installation. They care for military working dogs, personal pets, and government owned animals.
“My job here at JBPHH is to coordinate not only the food mission, but the veterinarian care as well,” said U.S. Army Capt. Cailtlin Conway, the officer in charge at the VRA. “We do a lot of work with the military working dog training and ensuring that they have the proper care to perform the missions required of them. The veterinarians were originally integrated within food service because we used to have livestock that we had to inspect for infectious diseases and other issues that would impact the quality of the livestock. Then we’d inspect the animals, the slaughter, the processing, to the wholesale cuts, to the actual consumable product.”
The mission set changed when the military started to use approved vendors for livestock on installation.
“As the years progressed and our culture, industries, and food sources changed, the veterinarians started to inspect the packaging and transport of these food items,” said Conway. “Now we work with the food service specialists to ensure that all livestock meets all standards on our end as well.”
While this is not the first time the VRA has been integrated with the RIMPAC exercise, this is one of the largest events they participate in biannually. This year, they have already inspected over $3,000,000 worth of subsistenence on the pier to be sent out onto the ships supporting RIMPAC.
“RIMPAC provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the role of veterinary services across the military,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Martin Mutagamba, the food safety officer for the VRA. “Our food supply chain is often overlooked because there is an expectation there for quality food, but it’s the vigilance of our Soldiers that ensures it’s safe and consumable.”
Overall, the Veterinary Corps is a necessary precaution to ensure that all service members have access to good quality food, even while aboard ships and in deployed environments.
“In the INDOPACOM region, the role of the Army Veterinary Corps is indispensable,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Philip Durando, the commander of the VRA. “Their efforts to ensure the safety and quality of food supplies directly support the health, morale, and readiness of the joint force. By addressing the unique challenges of the region and fostering inter-service and international cooperation, Army Veterinary units enhance the overall effectiveness and security of military operations in this strategically vital area.”
| Date Taken: | 07.17.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.18.2024 14:33 |
| Story ID: | 476475 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 127 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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