An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : Media : News : News Article View
NEWS | June 6, 2014

Army Veterinarians Conduct Subject Matter Expert Exchange in Indonesia During Pacific Partnership 2014

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Dustin Q. Diaz, Expeditionary Combat Camera

BA'A, Indonesia (NNS) -- Veterinarians from the U.S. Army Reserve shared expertise with Indonesian animal doctors and veterinarian medics during a veterinarian subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) in Ba'a, Indonesia, June 2-5.

The SMEE was one of several in Rote Ndao that saw service members from the U.S., Singapore, New Zealand and other partner nations work directly with local professionals to exchange knowledge in their respective career fields as part of the annual multilateral humanitarian mission Pacific Partnership 2014.

U.S. Army Maj. Raghavan Sampathkumaran and U.S. Army Capt. Jane Lund began the SMEE at the Dinas Peternakan Rote Ndao veterinarian clinic sharing their knowledge with local vets on sterility, pre-surgery physical examinations and other fundamentals of veterinarian care.

"We spent some time talking about what their current capabilities were, and we were able to share techniques that we find helpful in our area that they may be able to use here, or a variation of those techniques and be successful with that after we leave for years to come," said Lund, a native of Wausau, Wisconsin, assigned to the 719th Medical Detachment Veterinarian Services.

They covered a wide range of material as the SMEE continued, including proper use of medication and neutering techniques when Tassilo Sandizell, a resident of Boa, Indonesia, visited the clinic with his Rottweiler, Iron, asking if Sampathkumaran and Lund would neuter him.

"One of the things the Indonesians really wanted to learn more about was small animal surgical skills, so it worked out really well we were able to perform that procedure and show them that," said Sampathkumaran, a native of Lompoc, California, assigned to the 109th Medical Detachment Veterinary Services.

When the Indonesian vets visited a local farm to learn from a local expert about collecting semen from pigs, Lund borrowed from her prior civil affairs experience by comparing techniques with the expert and having him lead the instruction, working directly with his countrymen on cattle artificial insemination techniques. This was an example of how the SMEE took a new and improved approach from the traditional veterinarian civic action projects (VETCAP) previously done on these missions.

Sampathkumaran said he and Lund kept the mission's focus on transferring knowledge and providing a lasting benefit to the Indonesians, as opposed to the short-term help typically provided at VETCAPs. Indonesian animal doctor Astri Juliadi, who was participating in her first Pacific Partnership, said the dog surgery was the most useful part of the training for her, as she hadn't done that procedure in some time.

"It's a little difficult to do our job here with the lack of resources and equipment, but this has been very helpful," said Juliadi, who got hands-on training on suturing and pre-surgery physical examinations. "Pacific Partnership has been a great opportunity; we have learned a lot of new things. It's wonderful that the Americans came to Rote."

Pacific Partnership is in its ninth iteration and is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Asia-Pacific region.

For more information on Pacific Partnership, visit the website at www.cpf.navy.mil/pacific-partnership/2014/, Like the Pacific Partnership Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pacificpartnership and follow its Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/PacificPartner.
CONNECT WITH USINDOPACOM
Facebook

Like Us
X
363,201
Follow Us

ENGAGE & CONNECT MORE WITH PACOM

                                                 

IN THE USINDOPACOM NEWS
Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With President Wesley Simina of the Federated States of Micronesia
Graphic intended for use as a placeholder for Statements and Press Releases without accompanying imagery.
March 22, 2024 - Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout...

AUKUS Trilateral Statement
Graphic intended for use as a placeholder for Statements and Press Releases without accompanying imagery.
March 22, 2024 - The Honourable Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Australia; the Right Honourable Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Defence, United Kingdom; and Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense,...

U.S., India launch Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH 2024
Courtesy Photo
March 21, 2024 - Indian and U.S. combined armed forces began Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH 2024 with the arrival of amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25), March 18 and an opening ceremony March 19.This is the third time U.S. and...

USACE: Ensuring Safety Every Step of the Way
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) is the premier Department of Defense (DoD) military construction (MILCON) agent in the Pacific, providing facilities-related design and construction work in Japan for all military services and agencies. With over 60 years of experience in designing and constructing facilities in Japan, JED possesses the experience in Japanese standards and specifications, regulations, construction practices, maintenance requirements, and culture needed to ensure facilities are built with the utmost safety and professionalism. Photo by Charles Maib.
March 21, 2024 - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) is the premier Department of Defense (DoD) military construction (MILCON) agent in the Pacific, providing facilities-related design and construction work...

THAAD Battery in Guam Successfully Completes Table VIII Evaluation
A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense launcher used by E-3 Air Defense Artillery THAAD Battery as part of their Table VIII certification in Dededo, Guam, March 13, 2024. The THAAD battery, equipped with a state-of-the-art missile defense system, is tasked with defending Guam against ballistic missile threats. (U.S. Army Photo by Maj. Trevor Wild)
March 21, 2024 - In a testament to readiness and operational excellence, Task Force Talon's E-3 ADA THAAD Battery conducted a Table VIII evaluation for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system stationed in Guam, March 11-15,...