| BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, April 14, 2008 – Government veterinary officials in Afghanistan’s Farah province, assisted by coalition forces, treated animals and taught local shepherds how to care for their livestock at an event at Farah Fire Base.
Dr. Gulam, provincial veterinarian for Afghanistan’s Farah province, teaches a goat shepherd how to de-worm his livestock during a mission at the Farah Fire Base, April 2, 2008. The local coalition civil affairs team, along with Gulam, organized and coordinated with local shepherds to have them come to the firebase to treat their animals. Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan photo
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. |
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The civil affairs team stationed at the Farah Fire Base helped the provincial veterinarian in hosting the event April 2. Dr. Gulam, the provincial veterinarian, coordinated and organized the event by putting out radio messages and sending his technicians to remote villages to invite ranchers to the event. The civil affairs team organized the supplies and requested volunteers from the provincial reconstruction team’s medical personnel to assist with the event.
“We wanted to treat [the animals] because it’s the right thing to do,” the civil affairs team’s medic said. “Normally, the animals would get nothing in the way of veterinary treatment.”
Overall, the animals brought in were “fairly healthy,” the team sergeant said.
All of the animals were treated for worms. Gulam gave two of the sickest animals antibiotics and asked the ranchers to bring the animals in for a follow-up appointment. He also taught the ranchers how to administer the de-worming medicine to their herds.
“The short-term goals involved inoculating the herds for worms and legitimizing the provincial government’s veterinarian program for animal husbandry,” the team sergeant said.
Officials said the ranchers will see increased income resulting from healthier livestock and that the effort will engender long-term confidence in the provincial veterinary office.
(From a Combined Joint Task Force 101 news release.)
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