September 15, 2020

The AVMA presented the AVMA Meritorious Service Award in August to Dr. John Poppe, who retired at the end of 2015 as a brigadier general and the 25th chief of the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps after serving 28 years as a veterinarian in the Army.

Dr. Poppe (Washington State ’86), a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, oversaw veterinary care for pets of military families, government-owned animals ranging from military working dogs to ceremonial horses, and even the Navy’s marine mammals, as well as ensured food safety for all services within the Department of Defense and many other federal agencies around the world. He was stationed in Korea and Turkey and in the United States, including a tour in the Pentagon, where he served as the Army assistant surgeon general. He served on multiple operational assignments, including in Grenada, Botswana, Thailand, and Iraq.

He retired to San Antonio, where he serves as the director of parish operations at Crown of Life Lutheran Church and vice chairman of the Military Affairs Committee of the San Antonio Stockshow & Rodeo. He is president of the Uniformed Veterinary Medicine Association.