1. References.
See references enclosed.
2. Purpose.
This directive assigns roles and responsibilities for establishing the Army Equid Enterprise (AEE) Program.
The AEE Program will implement law and Department of Defense (DoD) policy governing the use, care, and disposition of Department of the Army military working equids; equids used in military morale, welfare, and recreation activities; and personally owned equids housed on Army property.
3. Applicability.
This directive applies to the Regular Army, Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and U.S. Army Reserve, unless otherwise stated.
4. Policy.
a.
The AEE Program will ensure that policies, standards, and procedures are in place to enable organizations that incorporate equids to fulfill their missions while safeguarding the life, health, safety, and welfare of equids pursuant to law and DoD policy.
The AEE Program will apply to:
(1)
Department of the Army-owned equids used for ceremonial, demonstration, training, and other military working equid missions, including mascots.
(2)
All equids on Army-controlled military installations, camps, posts, and organic industrial bases for policy and procedures related to health and welfare; specifically, Army-owned equids used for recreational purposes and privately owned equids, including equids associated with non-Federal entities authorized to operate on installations, camps, posts, or organic industrial bases.
b.
The AEE Program will not apply to stray, feral, and wild equids that may be present on Army-controlled property.
c.
The Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) (ASA (M&RA)) directs the AEE Program.
The AEE Program will govern management of equids on Army property and management of a program using equids while overseeing requirements and ensuring funding is included in future program objective memorandums.
The ASA (M&RA) will—
(1)
Develop and execute policy and standards for acquisition; transportation; housing; usage; maintenance; care and feeding; farrier services; welfare; veterinary care; training of personnel and equids; equid equipment, tack, and conveyances; and retirement, transfer, adoption, or other disposition of equids, in accordance with Title 10, U.S. Code sections 2583(a)-(c)(1), 2583(d)-(e)(2), and 2583(i)(2).
(2)
Produce and sustain a qualified cadre of Army Soldiers with horsemanship skills (including riders and conveyance drivers) that can be tracked in Army personnel systems.
(3)
Develop and oversee a program for sustaining equid veterinarian proficiency.
(4)
Oversee equid force structure and resourcing requirements supporting select military funeral honors, ceremonial, public affairs, and recruiting activities.
(5)
Oversee equid caisson organizations’ readiness to support select military funeral honors, including those required by statute, ceremonial, public affairs, and recruiting activities.
(6)
Oversee the Office of The Surgeon General Task Force Military Working Equids (TF-MWE) to promote, support, and sustain the health and welfare of all equids on Army property as part of site assistance visits and no less than yearly site evaluations.
(7)
Oversee a governance structure to address support requirements, policy development, and problem resolution.
(8)
If necessary, in accordance with Army Regulation 15-39, charter and chair an equid expert advisory committee comprising military and Federal government experts to perform such tasks as fact-finding, research, evaluation, studies, and/or reviews and to provide consensus advice in support of tactical, operational, and strategic equid activities.
(9)
If necessary, coordinate the appointment of Highly Qualified Experts with the Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service to provide uncommon, special knowledge, skills, and experience to assist in such tasks as fact-finding, research, evaluation, studies, and/or reviews and to provide consensus advice in support of the AEE Program.
(10)
Establish herd-readiness reporting standards and mechanisms to provide, at minimum, the following information:
(a)
Adequacy of animal husbandry practices pursuant to reference 1h and reported in the Veterinary Services Information Management System (VSIMS).
(b)
Adequacy of stabling, pasture, and facilities pursuant to reference 1c.
(c)
Herd-health of on-hand equids (Fully-Mission Capable, Limited, or Non-Mission Capable).
(d)
Herd-mission readiness (number of missions herd can support, such as the number of funerals per week, recruiting events per month, and ceremonial events per month).
(11)
Establish incident reporting requirements and reporting mechanisms.
At minimum, ensure that these incidents will be reported:
(a)
Injury to a human, caused by an equid, requiring medical intervention, treatment by medical personnel, or evacuation to higher-level care.
(b)
Injury or illness of an equid that requires medical intervention or treatment by a veterinarian and requires evacuation to a higher level of medical care.
(c)
Actual or suspected cases of equid abuse on Army installations.
(d)
Media reports of equid maltreatment on Army installations.
(e)
Infrastructure deficiencies that jeopardize equid health, welfare, or safety.
(f)
Death of an equid.
(g)
Downward trend in TF-MWE site assessments.
(h)
Commander assessment, in consultation with attending veterinarian, that an equid site no longer meets standards.
(i)
Positive media coverage of equid activities (such as participating in parades; training with civilian or government agencies; awards; recognitions; and recruiting, retention, and prevention activities).
(j)
Any other incident the commander determines to be of immediate concern based on the gravity, nature, potential for significant adverse publicity or consequences of the incident.
(12)
Establish a congressional reporting mechanism to meet the requirements of reference 1b.
5. Responsibilities.
a.
The ASA (M&RA) will develop and oversee policies for the AEE Program, provide resources for the program, and coordinate program policies and responsibilities with stakeholders.
b.
The Chief of Public Affairs will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the public affairs resources and services necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
c.
The Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS), G-1 will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the human resources support necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
d.
The DCS, G-3/5/7 will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the training, force generation, force management, and readiness support necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
e.
The DCS, G-4 will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the logistics and sustainment support necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
f.
The DCS, G-9 will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the installation support necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
The DCS, G-9 will also provide the ASA (M&RA) support with implementing AEE Program requirements in covered morale, welfare, and recreation programs and non-appropriated fund instrumentalities while also providing reports on resiliency efforts and efficacy using AEE programs.
g.
The Surgeon General will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the Army health systems support necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
The Surgeon General will manage TF-MWE to meet program objectives prescribed by the ASA (M&RA) and design what is to replace TF-MWE.
h.
The Commander, U.S. Army Forces Command will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the training and preparation of units requiring use of equids to meet AEE Program requirements.
i.
The Commander, U.S. Army Materiel Command will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the real property, facilities infrastructure, technology, acquisition, and logistics support necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
j.
The Commander, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the training of Army personnel and equids to meet AEE Program requirements.
k.
The Commanding General, U.S. Army Military District of Washington will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the Armed Forces ceremonial support necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
l.
The Commanding General, U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the recruitment of Army personnel to meet AEE Program requirements and provide reports on USAREC activities associated with military working equids with, at minimum, the number of impressions, prospect engagements, leads, and associated costs.
6. Proponent.
The ASA (M&RA) is the proponent for AEE Program policy and will ensure that the requirements of this directive and all applicable laws, regulations, and funding requirements are incorporated into a new Army regulation by 1 September 2025.
7. Duration.
This directive is rescinded on publication of the new Army regulation.
DISTRIBUTION
- Principal Officials of Headquarters, Department of the Army
- Commander
- U.S. Army Forces Command
- U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command
- U.S. Army Materiel Command
- U.S. Army Futures Command
- U.S. Army Pacific
- U.S. Army Europe and Africa
- U.S. Army Central
- U.S. Army North
- U.S. Army South
- U.S. Army Special Operations Command
- Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
- U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Strategic Command
- U.S. Army Cyber Command
- U.S. Army Medical Command
- U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Army Military District of Washington
- U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command
- U.S. Army Human Resources Command
- U.S. Army Corrections Command
- U.S. Army Recruiting Command
- Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy
(CONT)
DISTRIBUTION: (CONT)
- Commandant, U.S. Army War College
- Director, U.S. Army Civilian Human Resources Agency
- Executive Director, Military Postal Service Agency
- Director, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division
- Director, Civilian Protection Center of Excellence
- Director, U.S. Army Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office
- Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery
- Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center
CF:
- Principal Cyber Advisor
- Director of Enterprise Management
- Director, Office of Analytics Integration
- Commander, Eighth Army
REFERENCES
a.
Title 10, U.S. Code, section 2583 (Military animals: transfer and adoption)
b.
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, Public Law 118-31, section 366 (Establishment of Caisson Platoon and support for military and State funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery)
c.
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Public Law 117-263, section 391 (Implementation of recommendations relating to animal facility sanitation and plan for housing and care of horses)
d.
Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 6400.04E (DoD Veterinary Public and Animal Health Services), 27 June 2013, incorporating Change 2, effective 29 August 2017
e.
DoD Instruction 1015.10 (Military Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Programs), 6 July 2009, incorporating Change 1, effective 6 May 2011
f.
DoD Instruction 1300.15 (Military Funeral Support), 27 December 2017, incorporating Change 1, effective 9 April 2021
g.
DoD Instruction 5410.19, Volume 1 (Community Outreach Activities: Policy Overview and Evaluation Procedures), 29 September 2021
h.
Army Regulation 40-905 (Veterinary Health Services), 29 August 2006