Contact Information


NAME:  Veterinary Readiness Activity, Italy

EMAIL ADDRESS: usarmy.usag-italy.medcom-ph-e.mbx.hq-battlebox@health.mil

TELEPHONE:  +39-04446-19441

DSN:  314-636-9441

MAILING ADDRESS: Unit 31403, Box 54 APO, AE 09630-1403

About Veterinary Readiness Activity, Italy
Mission: U.S. Army Veterinary Readiness Activity, Italy provides public health and veterinary medical services in support of European Command and Africa Command to enable readiness, conserve the fighting strength, and protect the health of those we are privileged to serve.

Vision: A Ready, Medically Protected and Healthy Military Community. 

VRA, I History

US Army Veterinary Readiness Activity, Italy traces its origins to Veterinary Detachment, Medical Group, 7779th Army Unit. After World War II, the headquarters of the 7779th Army Unit was combined with the Quartermaster Market Center in Frankfurt, Germany. The unit was responsible for animal-origin food inspection in the areas not covered by area commands within Germany or by the Berlin command, the Bremerhaven Port of Embarkation, or the U.S. Army Europe Communication Zone. The unit had two branches located at The Hague, Holland and Odense, Denmark in addition to various sections located throughout Holland, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, and the former Yugoslavia.

Veterinary Detachment, Medical Group, 7779th Army Unit deactivated on November 15, 1956 and reorganized as U.S. Army, Europe Veterinary Detachment 7719th. On July 1, 1957, the name changed to U.S. Army Veterinary Detachment, Europe and the unit was assigned to U.S. Army Communication Zone, Europe.

The unit headquarters later moved to Giessen, Germany along with the U.S. Army Quartermaster Supply Center on July 1, 1958. The U.S. Army Veterinary Detachment, Europe was assigned to the 819th Hospital Center on March 15, 1963 and later to U.S. Army Medical Command, Europe on July 1, 1968 where it remained until reorganized as the 7th Medical Command on September 21, 1978. On September 16, 1986, the 34th Medical Detachment Veterinary Services (VS) was activated in Vicenza, Italy. As part of the reorganization of our military forces in Europe following the fall of the Berlin wall and breakup of the former Soviet Union, the 34th Medical Detachment (VS) remained as such through the inactivation of 7th Medical Command and task organization under the 30th Medical Brigade in October 1994.

On January 16, 1995, the 34th Medical Detachment (VS) was renamed Southern Europe Veterinary Detachment. The SEVD area of responsibility varied over the years to encompass missions in Austria, Crete, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Spain, South Africa, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine and the former Yugoslavia.

On January 4, 2012, when U.S. Army Veterinary Command merged with the Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine to form U.S. Army Public Health Command, the unit was re-designated as PHCD-SE. On July 1, 2015, following the inactivation of USAPHC and reorganization of U.S. Army MEDCOM, PHCD-SE was task organized under Public Health Command-Europe which is currently subordinate to Regional Health Command-Europe. On October 1, 2016 the name was changed to Public Health Activity-Italy. Following the Army Medical Command Transformation to Readiness in late 2022, the unit was redesignated as Veterinary Readiness Activity, Italy on 15 March 2024.
 
Today, VRA, I provides Food Safety and Defense, Animal Medicine, Zoonotic Disease Surveillance, Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene from its seven branches within the UK, Spain, Turkey and Italy supporting 26 countries in Europe and Africa, remaining one of the most geographically-dispersed veterinary units in the Army.

commander

Lieutenant Colonel Mariama A. Massaquoi- Gartmann

U.S. Army Medical Service Corps

LTC Mariama A. Massaquoi-Gartmann is a first-generation, Sierra Leonean-American, Muslim born and raised in Houston, TX with her 7 brothers and sisters by their formidable, loving and courageous mother. She commissioned as a Second Lieutenant through the Health Professions Scholarship Program in 2009, and became an active-duty Captain upon graduation from University of Texas Medical Branch in 2013.

Her previous assignments include Resident/Academic Chief, Tripler Family Medicine Residency; Brigade Surgeon, 71st Ordnance Group Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD); Family Medicine Obstetrics (FMOB) Fellow, Carl R. Darnall Medical Center FMOB Fellowship; Faculty, Ft Benning Family Medicine Residency; White House Physician/J7, White House Medical Unit; Executive Fellow, Medical Corps Chief’s Office.

Her military education includes Basic Officer Leaders Course; AMEDD - Captain’s Career Course; Junior Officer Leadership Course; U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; Army Flight Surgeon Course; Iron Majors Week; Defense Strategy Course; Joint Humanitarian Operations Course; Joint Senior Medical Leaders Course; NATO Military Global Health Engagement Course; Joint and Combined Warfighting School; Battalion Pre-Command Course. She holds a Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with certificates in Global Health and Health Finance and Management, and a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Williams College in Massachusetts. She is double board-certified in family medicine and family medicine obstetrics with surgical skills.

Her national and international medical involvement include sitting on the board of directors for the Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians and on the advisory group for the American Academy of Family Physicians Center for Global Health Initiatives. She is an oral examiner and item writer for the American Board of Physician Specialties Family Medicine Obstetrics exam, and she is also the co-founder of a small non-profit organization, conducting annual capacity-building medical trips to west Africa.

LTC Massaquoi-Gartmann’s awards and decorations include Presidential Service Badge, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2 Oak Leaf), the Air Force Aerial Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. She is a Fully Joint Qualified Officer and was the 2024 MAJ recipient for The Surgeon General’s Physician Recognition Award.
First sergeant

First Sergeant Mario A. Leon

First Sgt. Mario A. Leon was born on Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL. He was raised throughout numerous naval bases around the United States and Bermuda. He entered the U.S. Army in September 2007 and graduated Basic Combat Training as the distinguished honor graduate in Fort Benning, Georgia. He completed Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas as a Food Inspection Specialist.

His various assignments and positions include: Food Inspection Specialist, Fort Campbell, Kentucky 72nd Medical Detachment Veterinary Services; while there he deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Camp Leatherneck, Helmand Province; Food Inspection Sergeant, Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Section NCOIC Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Training NCO Central Pacific District Veterinary Command, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; Section NCOIC Submarine Base New London, Connecticut; Squad NCOIC 43rd Medical Detachment Veterinary Services Support, Fort Hood, Texas; while there he deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Horn of Africa in Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti; Phantom Warrior Academy Air Assault School instructor Fort Hood, Texas; Drill Sergeant/Senior Drill Sergeant C Co, 232d Medical Battalion, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, TX; Bavaria Branch NCOIC Vilseck, Germany.

He has completed the Master Leaders Course, Army Modern Combatives Course Level 2, Drill Sergeant School, Advanced Food Technology, Installation Food Vulnerability, Master Driver’s course, and Field Sanitation. He also holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix in business management and globalization.

His awards and decorations include: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (7 OLC), Navy Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (6 OLC), Army Good Conduct Medal (5th award), National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (2 star), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon (Numeral 4), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (Numeral 3), NATO Medal, Superior Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Award, Expert Field Medic Badge, Air Assault Badge, Drill Sergeant Badge, French Marine Commando and Dessert Survival Badge, German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (silver), Schützenschnur (gold), and the Polish Marksmanship Badge.