VETERINARY OFFICER

The Job

The primary role of TA Veterinary Officers is to apply their expertise in the defence context. This may be the clinical care of military working animals (horses and dogs), veterinary public health (such as surveillance for disease and biological attack), medical intelligence, and advising on appropriate methods of medical force protection and the control of disease outbreaks. As well as getting the best from the Army’s animals, as an officer you will also be expected to get the best from the soldiers under your command.

The Right Job For Me?

To apply for this role you must be a fully qualified veterinary practitioner with a veterinary degree, and a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. All officer jobs will call on your ability to lead and motivate the troops under your command, and you will need the maturity and sense of responsibility necessary for a role in which soldiers’ wellbeing can depend on the outcome of your decisions. You do not need to be super-fit to join the Territorials but the training can sometimes be physically challenging so you need a good standard of health and stamina. You must also have a strong sense of commitment to achieve your goals. As part of a larger unit, an ability to take orders is essential, but you must also be able to act on your own initiative if the situation calls for it.

What Skills Will I Learn?

Life in the Territorials is all about learning new skills and having the opportunity to do things you would not have a chance to do otherwise. To start with, officers are expected to master the same basic military skills and tactics as the soldiers they command. This will include drill, basic fieldcraft, map-reading, first aid and how and when to fire your personal weapon. In addition to your soldiering skills you will also learn the skills pertinent to being an officer, and how to command soldiers in the field and in barracks through a series of field exercises. You will also gain military-specific veterinary experience that you are unlikely to get from your civilian job.

What Training Will I Do?

Initial trainingAll potential Professionally Qualified Officers (PQO) are enlisted initially as soldiers. After a pre-commissioning course held over two weekends, candidates will attend a board to assess their suitability for a commission as a PQO. Should they be successful they will attend the month-long PQO course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. This can be undertaken as a four-week course, or alternatively as two two-week courses spread over two years. During this time you will receive the best training the British Army has to offer on your way to becoming a Territorial officer.Further trainingThe annual training commitment is 19 days. This is broken down into 15 days of continuous training with your unit, either on exercises or on a course, and four days of ‘out of camp’ training, made up of weekend training and other activities. During the first year or so you may be expected to do a little more, as your training at Sandhurst will count as your 15 days' continuous training. You will find that many Territorial officers enjoy the experience so much that they choose to do more than the minimum requirement.

What Qualifications Could I Get?

As a member of a Territorial unit you will have access to a Continuous Professional Development Plan and Personal Development Record. Together these will help you identify and develop your skills and turn them into recognised civilian qualifications that may be of help to you in your career. For example, you may have the opportunity to develop special interests relevant to military veterinary science, including canine and equine medicine and surgery, veterinary public health, microbiology, tropical veterinary medicine and epidemiology.

Future Prospects

As well as keeping you fit and helping you make friends for life, being in the Army gives you a major advantage in the increasingly competitive job market. Employers recognise Territorial officers as committed individuals who can organise others and work well in a team. They will know you are flexible, self-motivated, dependable, confident and responsible, and that you have an imaginative approach to problem-solving. Above all being an Army officer demonstrates to employers that you have what it takes to lead under pressure, and have professional expertise backed up by solid experience.