Dr. Henry E. Childers, 2005-2006 AVMA president, spoke on unity and diversity in veterinary medicine at the 52nd International Military Veterinary Medical Symposium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Speaking to U.S. Army and allied Veterinary Corps officers, Dr. Childers addressed the shared values and issues within the profession.
The symposium, hosted in April by Col. Michael Buley and the 100th Medical Detachment (Veterinary Service-Headquarters), is the largest meeting of international military veterinarians, representing 17 countries.
Dr. Leon H. Russell, World Veterinary Association president, provided his perspective on the history and future of global veterinary medicine. Dr. H. Ron DeHaven, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, addressed animal health challenges of the new millennium. These issues were echoed in other presentations on avian influenza, international public health issues, operational veterinary medicine, and veterinary disaster relief.
Brigadier General Michael Cates, chief of the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, said, "The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps has had a long and close association with the AVMA and the veterinary medical profession at large." He added that "with the global issues we face today, it will take the efforts of all segments of the profession—military, government, education, and private practice—to continue to provide the benefits of healthy pets, healthy livestock, healthy food, and a healthy public, which we have enjoyed over many years." |