Poppe assumes Army Veterinary Corps command

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Brig. Gen. Poppe
Army Brig. Gen. John L. Poppe

Colonel John L. Poppe was promoted to brigadier general and chief of the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps Dec. 9, 2011.

Brig. Gen. Poppe is the 25th chief of the Army Veterinary Corps, which comprises more than 700 veterinarians, 80 warrant officers, and 1,800 enlisted soldiers on active or reserve duty. As head of the Veterinary Corps, Brig. Gen. Poppe is also the Army assistant surgeon general for force projection.

President Obama nominated the then-colonel for promotion and assignment as corps chief, which the Senate approved Nov. 10. At the time, Dr. Poppe had been serving as chief of the Department of Veterinary Science at the Army Medical Department Center and School at Fort Sam Houston in Texas.

The Army Veterinary Corps was established in 1916 to provide veterinary services to the Defense Department. The corps provides for the nation's defense through food safety, biomedical research and development, and animal medical programs in support of force health protection and military readiness.

Brig. Gen. Poppe received a DVM degree from Washington State University in 1986 and is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. He holds master's degrees in public health–epidemiology and in national security and strategic studies from Tulane University and the Naval War College, respectively.

Since his commission as a 1st lieutenant in the Army Veterinary Corps in 1987, Brig. Gen. Poppe has been stationed throughout the United States, including as commander of the Pacific Regional Veterinary Command in Hawaii, and has deployed to Korea and Turkey.

Decades of military service have brought Brig. Gen. Poppe numerous awards and decorations, such as the Meritorious Service Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, and the Army Surgeon General's "A" Proficiency Designator for Veterinary Preventive Medicine.