Hello all, I'm considering a career as a vet and I know the military offers a lot of great opportunities. Does anyone know which branches of the military have veterinarians?
Every branch of the military employs veterinarians, but the majority serve in the Army. The Army Veterinary Corps is responsible for a variety of duties, including public health, research and development, and providing veterinary services for military working dogs, ceremonial horses, and pets of military personnel. They also serve as a key component of humanitarian missions.
The Navy uses veterinarians within their Medical Service Corps for similar roles, mostly focused on medicine, research, and public health. However, these positions can be limited in number.
The Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force typically do not directly employ veterinarians, but they may have associated roles within a biomedical context or tap into the services of veterinarians from other branches such as the Army or Navy.
Keep in mind that being a military veterinarian often goes beyond treating animals; there's a significant focus on public health and research roles, too. For example, you could be involved in efforts to control zoonotic disease transmission, inspecting food facilities, or performing biomedical research. If you're interested in going this route, make sure you're interested in these aspects as well as traditional animal care.
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