Veterinary Corps Opportunities

The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps plays a vital role in safeguarding the Warfighter and advancing the National Military Strategy. Our mission is achieved through delivering comprehensive veterinary public health services, including medical and surgical care, food safety and defense, and groundbreaking biomedical research and development. Veterinary Corps Officers also provide critical veterinary expertise in disaster relief and emergency response situations, ensuring readiness in times of crisis.

As a key part of the Army Medical Department, we directly support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines, ensuring their health and well-being. Our responsibilities extend beyond Army personnel, as we provide food safety and security inspections across all Armed Services. We care for Military Working Dogs, ceremonial horses, and working animals for the key governmental agencies, as well as pets owned by service members.

Additionally, our contributions to military medical research are indispensable, as we help develop lifesaving medical products that protect and serve all branches of the military. Join the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps and be part of a mission that makes a difference—every day, for every Warfighter.

For general questions concerning the US. Veterinary Corps, please contact: usarmy.ncr.hqda-otsg.mbx.medcom-vc-chief-office@army.mil

Basic Eligibility Requirements

To Be Eligible for Service in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps You Must:

Be a Citizen of the United States
Be a graduate of an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited school of veterinary medicine, or, if a graduate of a non-accredited foreign veterinary school, successfully complete certification by the Education Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG)
Be licensed to practice veterinary medicine in at least one state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or a U.S. Territory. New graduates may be allowed up to one year following graduation to acquire a license
The maximum age is 42 years at time of accession
Meet eligibility requirements, to include a medical fitness examination and background security checks

Entry Routes

Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP): The Army provides one of the most generous and comprehensive scholarships in the healthcare field: the F. Edward Hebert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). If selected, you will receive a full-tuition scholarship along with a monthly stipend through the HPSP. Contact your local Army Medical recruiter after receiving your veterinary school acceptance letter for information on how to apply.
Direct Commissioning / Direct Accession: Direct Commissioning is offered to all graduates of American Veterinary Medical Association accredited schools of veterinary medicine in the United States. You must be a U.S. citizen to be commissioned. The maximum age is 42 at time of accession.
ROTC Educational Delay: Students commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) may apply for an Educational Delay to attend veterinary school. Applications should be made through the local ROTC office. ** Please be aware that an approved Educational Delay does not guarantee admission into the Veterinary Corps. Students must apply through the HPSP or Direct Commissioning process to be considered.
Branch Transfer: For those individuals currently serving in the military with an interest in transferring into the Veterinary Corps, please contact: usarmy.ncr.hqda-otsg.mbx.medcom-vc-chief-office@army.mil Personnel with prior service in the military, either as an officer or an enlisted member, may receive credit for pay and/or grade upon reentry into the military. The amount of credit depends on individual circumstances.

Pay & Benefits

Army Veterinary Corps Officers are paid as an O-3 (Captain) upon entry into active duty. Military officers are salaried and receive a set base pay based on rank and time in service. These salaries are adjusted every annual year to account for cost-of-living adjustments. Officers also receive basic allowance for housing (BAH) and basic allowance for subsistence (BAS) which are exempt from being taxed. In addition, Veterinary Corps Officers receive additional pay incentives unique to AMEDD. This includes an annual incentive pay for your DVM degree and additional pay for holding a board-certification or PhD.

Altogether, your annual pay is a combination of:

Base Pay (based on rank & time in service) + BAH (based on zip code & dependent status) + BAS + Incentive Pay +/- Board-Certification Pay

For example, a new Veterinary Corps Officer with no dependents, no prior time in service, and living in San Antonio, TX could expect to earn $94,480 in 2024. The most up-to-date pay scales are published and publicly available for review. You can use this military compensation calculator to determine compensation tailored to your specific situation. Please note that this calculator does not include DVM incentive pay or board-certification pay.

Other benefits for Veterinary Officers include:

Full medical and dental coverage for service member
Low-cost medical and dental coverage for dependents
Low-cost life insurance
30 days paid leave per year plus 11 federal holidays
Paid continuing education
Cost-free moves for family and belongings, including overseas
Post-DVM educational opportunities (see below)
Retirement plan (Blended Retirement System)
Leadership and practice management opportunities

Assignments

The Veterinary Corps serves across Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps installations, both in the United States and overseas. Initial assignments typically take place at fixed military facilities within the continental United States, where new officers support the local installation. These positions often involve providing clinical veterinary services, overseeing food defense programs, conducting sanitary audits of food production facilities, and managing military and civilian personnel. Subsequent assignments may include opportunities at overseas installations, veterinary field units, or Special Forces units, with potential roles as branch chiefs, unit commanders, or training officers.

Geographic Opportunities Include:

Continental United States, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico
Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom
Turkey, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the Sinai
Japan , Korea, Thailand, and Guam

The Health Services Division of Human Resources Command handles all assignments.

Advanced Educational Opportunities

Army Veterinary Corps Officers are encouraged after 4 to 6 years on Active Duty to return to school to pursue advanced veterinary specialty education via the Long-Term Health Education and Training (LTHET) program. During this time, VCOs are paid their full salary and benefits and return to being full-time students for the duration of their program. Program tuition and fees are paid by the Army. VCOs also have non-veterinary LTHET and fellowship opportunities after completing their initial service obligation (i.e. Master of Health Administration at Army Baylor Program, Army Interagency Fellowship Program).

Veterinary Public Health Officer (64B): Expertise includes public health, preventive medicine, epidemiology, food microbiology and food science, international development, agricultural development, humanitarian assistance, human-animal bond, global health and global health policy, rangeland ecology, aquaculture, wildlife and zoo medicine, interagency support and coordination, and healthcare administration. Degrees are obtained at the VCO’s school of choice and programs may include:

MPH / MS in public health, epidemiology, food science, food microbiology
PhD in food microbiology, food science, public health, health policy analysis
Fellowship at CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS)

Laboratory Animal Veterinarian (64C): Residency-trained and board-certified lab animal specialists VCOs serve as subject matter experts in lab animal medicine, animal model development, and regulatory compliance. They provide essential clinical care to research animals and establish preventive medicine programs to maintain colony health, while actively participating in animal procurement, husbandry, and facility management. Additionally, 64Cs support research initiatives by training staff, assisting in protocol development, performing technical procedures including surgeries, and serving on Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees. Their expertise in regulatory oversight ensures the humane treatment of all research animals, and they also have opportunities to conduct independent or collaborative research, leading to published works. The 3-year residency is offered at the large research institutions in the Washington, DC area (i.e. National Capital Region). These include:

U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD)
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR)
USUHS, which also includes the Armed Forces Radiobiological Research Institute (AFRRI)

Veterinary Pathologist (64D): Residency-trained and board-certified pathologists who directly support military-relevant research initiatives. They contribute to medical countermeasure development to protect against CBRN agents and infectious diseases, inform solutions that prevent or mitigate injuries across various military operations—including combat casualty care and rehabilitative medicine—and assist in DoD-mandated biosurveillance efforts. VCOs attend the DOD Veterinary Pathology Residency Program (DODVPR) at the Joint Pathology Center (JPC) in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Veterinary Biomedical Scientists (64E): Officers work as a Principal Investigators (PI) in Warfighter-relevant medical product research & development (R&D) in pursuit of new drugs, therapeutics, vaccines, and medical devices. Focus areas are infectious disease, biological select agents and toxins (BSAT), brain health, physiology, and combat casualty care research. Veterinary Biomedical Scientists provide critical comparative medical knowledge and oversight to multidisciplinary teams performing early discovery research through Phase 1 clinical trials at DoD laboratories such as Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease (USAMRIID), and U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD). As 64E Officers gain expertise in DoD acquisitions processes and medical product R&D, they often progress to Dept., Branch, or Command leadership positions at DoD laboratories and/or Program Manager positions at Medical Research Development Command (MRDC) and the Defense Health Agency (DHA). This career field requires both a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, as well as a molecular-techniques-focused biomedical PhD degree (microbiology, toxicology, immunology, biochemistry, et cetera). Degrees are obtained through AMEDD Long-Term Health Education Training (LTHET) at the VCO’s school of choice. There is also a second pathway to 64E for Medical Service Corps Microbiologists (71A) and Biochemists (71B) with qualifying PhD degrees who can apply for DVM training through LTHET at their school of choice. Veterinary Biomedical Scientists are some of the most intensely trained and highly sought after Officers operating in the MRDC/DHA footprint, combining military/healthcare/operational experience with mammalian biology and medical research expertise.

Veterinary Clinical Officers (64F): Residency-trained and board-certified clinical specialists. As subject matter experts, they provide critical clinical guidance and support to newly commissioned veterinary officers and instruct new veterinary technicians. Additionally, 64Fs can influence policies and regulations regarding Military Working Dogs and other government-owned and privately-owned animals. They play a pivotal role in shaping the future of veterinary clinical practice within the Department of Defense and the Defense Health Agency. VCOs complete their residency-training at their school of choice. Previously offered specialties include:

Small Animal Internal Medicine
Small Animal Surgery
Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care
Veterinary Radiology
Veterinary Behavior
Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
Equine Medicine