Why does the Army need veterinarians?

Military veterinarians typically have three primary duties they rotate between during the day or week: clinical care of animals, food safety, and outreach/service. Depending upon the specific unit the veterinarian is assigned to, he will provide clinical care (physical examination, treatment, routine preventive care, etc) to service animals (dogs are common, as are horses for ceremonial purposes in Washington DC) and/or to the companion animals of servicemembers and their families (household pets such as dogs and cats, usually). Second, military veterinarians are tasked with ensuring the food safety of supplies procured from local vendors. At facilities in the US, this is generally limited to inspecting the various vendors (think hot dog carts, food trucks and similar businesses); at foreign posts, the veterinarian would also inspect and verify the various restaurants and suppliers around the base that are used by the military. Third, veterinarians perform a great deal of outreach and service to the communities they are in - assisting with low cost spay/neuter days, vaccinating for rabies, providing livestock herd examinations, etc. The actual service will vary depending upon location.