While at the Naval Postgraduate School, a smart US Army civil affairs officer pointed out that Afghans’ animals are their prized possessions. The wealth of villages is easily determined by looking at the health of their livestock. Given this, the military has been running veterinary programs in Afghanistan to help win over hearts and minds. Not a bad idea at all. Recently, I stumbled upon a program which hints at an expansion of this practice into Africa:
US military forces have launched a veterinary project in Gulu and Amuru displaced persons’ camps that aims to vaccinate 12,000 cattle and 130,000 goats over the next month. The US team, working with the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture, will be treating the livestock free of charge.
This is the type of program I love to see. Winning hearts and minds through applying US power to health, even if it is for animals. The operations are low cost (relative to combat), cause positive “collateral damage”, and attack the social networks which breed political / religious radicalism.