Contact Information


NAME: Veterinary Readiness Activity, Rheinland-Pfalz

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

Please note, if you have any questions or concerns regarding a pet, and you would like to reach out to Veterinary Medical Center Europe for assistance, please call or email them. Their contact information can be found at https://mrc-europe.army.mil/Public-Health-Command-Europe/-Programs-Services/-Veterinary-Services-Treatment-Facilities/Veterinary-Medical-Center-Europe/. Their email address is usarmy.landstuhl.phc-europe.mbx.vmce@health.mil, and their phone number is 06371-9464-1900

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

US 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 Jonathan M. Spikes

 

LTC Jonathan Spikes most recently served as the Chief of Aviation Physiology at the Department of Aviation Medicine. A Distinguished Military Graduate from Kansas State University, he commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps in May 2007. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Northern Illinois University and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Kansas State University.

LTC Spikes’ operational career began with C/2-1 General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB) at Fort Riley, KS. In March 2010, he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OIF/OND) as a MEDEVAC Platoon Leader. Upon redeployment, he supported various Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercises (EDRE) as part of the Global Response Force. Following completion of the Aviation Captains Career Course in 2012, he was assigned to the United States Army School of Aviation Medicine (USASAM) as a Physiological Training Officer and Chief of Current Operations. During his tenure at USASAM, he served as an ARMS inspector for aviation medicine, field-tested spatial disorientation devices at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, and flew in support of both the Headhunter flight following program and Flatiron MEDEVAC.

Returning to Fort Riley in 2016, LTC Spikes was assigned to HHC, 1CAB, deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel as a Medical Operations Officer and Brigade Battle Captain. In April 2018, he assumed command of "Boomer Dustoff," leading the company to EUCOM for a nine-month rotation in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Under his command, the Boomer team conducted MEDEVAC operations and training across 14 countries, amassing 3,000 flight hours. Following his tenure as Boomer 6, he continued to serve the MEDEVAC community as the MEDEVAC Advisor and Deputy Director for the Directorate of Evaluation and Standardization (DES) at Fort Rucker, AL.

A Master Aviator, LTC Spikes is qualified in the OH-58 A/C, UH-60 A/L/M, and C-12U. His extensive military education includes the Medical Service and Aviation Officer Basic Courses, the Aviation Captains Career Course, Intermediate Level Education, the MEDEVAC Doctrine Course, SERE Level C, the Mishap Investigation Course, and the UH-60 Instructor Pilot Course.

His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, NATO Medal, Expert Field Medical Badge, Master Aviator Badge, Parachutist Badge, and the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold). He is also a recipient of the Order of Saint Michael (Bronze) and the prestigious Order of Military Medical Merit.

First sergeant

First Sergeant Dana M. Cavazos

First Sergeant Dana Marie Cavazos hails from Livingston Manor, New York. She enlisted in the United States Army in 2006 and completed Basic Comat training at Fort Jackson, SC. She went to complete Advanced Individual Training as a 68K Medical Laboratory Specialist at Fort Sam Houston, TX (Phase I) and Ireland Army Community Hospital, Fort Knox, KY (Phase II).

Her assignments include Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), JBSA-FSH, TX, where she served as a Medical Laboratory Specialist; Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC), HI, where she served as a Medical Laboratory NCO in the Armed Services Blood Program and as the Anatomic Pathology and Morgue NCOIC; 210th BSB, 2BCT, 10th MTN DIV, Fort Drum, NY, where she served as the Ancillary Squad Leader, Headquarters Platoon Sergeant and deployed in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel in 2018 and served as the Ancillary Squad Leader and Laboratory NCO; A Co., 264th MED BN, JBSA-FSH, TX, where she served as the Chemistry Senior Course Manager for the 68K10 and HM 506 Medical Laboratory Technician Programs; HQ Co., MRB-RP, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), Germany as the Department of Pathology NCOIC and as the LRMC Adjutant; and her current duty assignment Veterinary Readiness Activity, Rheinland-Pfalz, Pulaski Barracks, Germany as the First Sergeant.

Her civilian and professional military education includes a Bachelor of Science in Applied Science and Technology from Thomas Edison State University, and an Associate of Science from the George Washington University. Her military education includes the Master Leader Course (MLC), Senior Leader Course (SLC), Advanced Leaders Course (ALC), Basic Leader Course (BLC, Lean Leader Course, Equal Opportunity Leaders Course (EOL), Unit Prevention Leader Course (UPL), Common Faculty Development- Instructor Course (CFD-IC), Cadre Training Course (CTC), Technical Transportation of Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT), Combat Life Savers (CLS), Total Army Retention Course, Air assault, Combatives I, II, III.

Her Awards include the Meritorious Service Medal; the Army Commendation Medal (“C” Device and 3rd OLC); the Army Achievement Medal (“C” Device and 4th OLC); The Army Good Conduct Medal (6th Award); the National Defense Service Ribbon; the Afghanistan Campaign Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; the Armed Forces Service Medal; the Military Outstanding Service Medal; the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (Numeral 4); the Army Service Ribbon; the Overseas service Ribbon (2nd Award); the NATO Medal. Her unit awards include the Army Superior Unit Award and the Meritorious Unit Commendation. She has also earned Air Assault Badge and the Basic Army Instructor Badge. Her Foreign badges include the German Armed Forces Badge for military proficiency Gold (GAFB), the Norwegian Foot March Badge, and the Schuzenschnur in Gold.  She has earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award in Bronze, Silver, Gold and Lifetime Achievement medals and is a proud member of the Order of Military Medical Merit (O2M3).