Contact Information


NAME: Veterinary Readiness Activity, Rheinland Pfalz

EMAIL ADDRESS: 
usarmy.rheinland-pfalz.medcom-ph-e.list.s2-3@health.mil

TELEPHONE:  +49 (0)6371-9464-1990

DSN:  314-590-1990

MAILING ADDRESS: 
Veterinary Readiness Activity, Rheinland Pfalz, Unit 20256, APO A 09067-0256
Veterinary Readiness Activity, Rheinland Pfalz, BLDG 2928, Pulaski Barracks Vogelweh, 
67661 Kaiserslautern, GE

About Veterinary Readiness Activity, Rheinland Pfalz
Mission:  Provide comprehensive public health and veterinary medical care in order to enable the readiness and conserve the fighting strength of those we serve.

Vision:  We are a premier team of Soldier and Civilian professionals - led by caring and competent leaders; supported by resilient Families - dedicated to our mission and our people; ready to provide first class, timely, and interoperable public health and veterinary medical care in a complex operational environment.

VRA, RP History

U.S. Army Veterinary Readiness Activity, Rheinland Pfalz has been known by many names. The unit was originally known as Northern Europe Veterinary Detachment. It was activated on January 18, 1995 as a result of the post-Cold War drawdown of U.S. Forces in Europe and merged the Frankfurt-based 110th Medical Detachment (VS) and Veterinary Detachment Europe, headquartered in Giessen, Germany. NEVD provided Veterinary Service support to the military communities of Wiesbaden, Hanau, Giessen, and Darmstadt in Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Iceland. Of these communities, only Wiesbaden, Belgium and the U.K. remain.

In 2007-2008, the Veterinary Service support was restructured in Europe. As a result, NEVD was re-designed Northern Europe District Veterinary Command, incorporating personnel and missions previously belonging to NEVD (to include the 21st, 79th, and 72nd Medical Detachments and the 64th Medical Detachment's community missions). On October 1, 2010 the NEUDVC was activated provisionally as a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Public Health Command Region-Europe in Landstuhl, Germany. With the merger of the U.S. Army Veterinary Command and the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion & Preventive Medicine, the size of the district increased to approximately 100 military and 90 civilian personnel. Its mission scope also greatly expanded.

The unit continues its Title X Veterinary Service support to all military communities in Germany and Belgium, encompassing sanitary audits of commercial food establishments and provision of food safety/defense and animal medicine. To support its mission, the Activity operates eight Veterinary Treatment Facilities in Germany, one in Belgium, and the Veterinary Medical Center Europe - the Army's premier, forward-deployed Role 3 medical and surgical center for Military Working Dogs. On October 1, 2016, the unit was re-designated as Public Health Activity-Rheinland Pfalz. Following the Army Medical Command Transformation to Readiness in late 2022, the unit was redesignated as Veterinary Readiness Activity, Rheinland Pfalz on 9 April 2024.

Commander

Lieutenant Colonel J. Tyler Garrett

 

Lieutenant Colonel J. Tyler Garrett took command of U.S. Army Veterinary Readiness Activity, Rheinland-Pfalz 28 May 2024. Prior to this assignment, he served as a Transition Officer and Aide-de-Camp to the 46th Surgeon General of the United States Army and Commanding General, United States Army Medical Command.

LTC Garrett received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Middle Tennessee State University in 2007 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant Medical Service Corps Officer in the United States Army. He received a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Healthcare Administration from the Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration in 2017. LTC Garrett is a certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders.

LTC Garrett’s military assignments include Executive Officer, Medical Readiness Command, East, Fort Belvoir, Virginia from 2021-2023; Deputy Commander for Administration, Reynolds Army Health Clinic, Fort Sill, Oklahoma from 2019-2021; Chief, Clinical Support Division, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky from 2018-2019; Administrative Officer for Primary Care, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky from 2017-2018; Assistant Operations Officer, U.S. Army Medical Recruiting Brigade, Fort Knox, Kentucky from 2014-2015; Commander, Charlie (Medical) Company, 201st Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Knox, Kentucky and Qalat, Afghanistan from 2012-2014; Brigade Personal Security Detail Platoon Leader and Command Group Executive Officer, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas and Baqubah, Iraq from 2011-2012; Troop Executive Officer, 4th Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas from 2010-2011; and Medical Platoon Leader, 4th Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas and Kirkuk, Iraq from 2008-2010.

LTC Garrett’s military awards include the Bronze Star Medal (two Oak Leaf Cluster), Meritorious Service Medal (two Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (two Oak Leaf Clusters), and the Army Achievement Medal (two Oak Leaf Clusters). LTC Garrett has earned the Combat Medical Badge, the Expert Field Medical Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and holds the Army’s O1E additional skill identifier as a certified Knowledge Management Professional. LTC Garrett is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit.

LTC Garrett and his wife remain grounded through the joy of parenting their two children.

First sergeant

First Sergeant Jennifer L. Dunlap

1SG Jennifer L. Dunlap was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. She enlisted in the United States Army on 10 January 2010 and completed Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, SC followed by her Advanced Individual Training as an Animal Care Specialist (68T) at Fort Sam Houston, TX.

Her assignments include Public Health Command District-Carson, CO where she served and an Animal Care Specialist and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 12-13; 7th Special Forces Group, Eglin AFB, FL, where she served as the Animal Care Sergeant and deployed in 2016 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom; United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School – Special Operations Center Of Excellence, Fort Bragg, NC where she served as the Veterinary section NCOIC and Veterinary Instructor for the Special Operations Combat Medic Course, Special Operations Civil Affairs Medical Sergeant Course, and Special Forces Medical Sergeant course; Veterinary Medical Center Europe Branch, Pulaski Barracks, Germany where she served as the NCOIC and Senior Animal Care Specialist; and her current duty assignment at Veterinary Readiness Activity Rhineland-Pfalz, Pulaski Barracks, Germany as the 1SG.

Her civilian and professional military education includes an Associate of Applied Sciences at the Uniformed Services University, Master Leadership Course, Common Facilitator Developmental Instructor Course, SHARP Course, Airborne School, Animal Care Clinical Proficiency Course, Field Sanitation, Combat Life Savers, and Combatives Level one.
Her awards include: The Meritorious Service Medal (2nd OLC), the Army Commendation Medal (2nd OLC), the Army Achievement Medal (2nd OLC), the Public Health Service Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal (4th award), the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon (Numeral 4), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (Numeral 2), NATO Medal, the Army Superior Unit Award, Senior Army Instructor Badge, and the Parachutist Badge.