17 Creating Partnerships with the US Military.

The US Army reached out to NC Cooperative Extension Service (NCCES) for assistance in training soldiers working with indigenous farmers while performing their duties during deployments worldwide. Two, independent training opportunities were developed. Basic Animal Husbandry (BAH) training began in 2011 and has grown from an annual, one-day course to a four-day, biannual training offered to Army Medics from Fort Bragg. It has served over 75 personnel from 2 Battalions and, in one year, included Navy Corpsmen from Camp Lejeune. Training session topics are digestive and reproductive physiology; nutrition; handling common livestock species; biosecurity/zoonosis; cost effective solutions to common health problems; and global perspective on the tie between animal and human health and welfare. The Rural Engagement and Mapping Course (REMC) began in 2015 as a one week agricultural immersion course. Its focus is increasing basic agricultural knowledge through exposure to agriculture, smallholder farms, and farm culture. It provides real-world experience through engaging with farmers and developing solutions to real problems as well as fostering self-awareness and personal development. To date, 106 soldiers from 4 different battalions have completed the training. When NCCES realized there would be ongoing demand for both courses, the desire for feedback from participants to enable ongoing improvement in the courses increased. Trainers began asking soldiers to complete self-assessment evaluations to determine change in knowledge base and to suggest areas in need of change or improvement. Mean before and after scores (Table 1; n = 51 for BAH and 18 for REMC) indicate success. Continued demand for both courses also indicates the Army values the products NCCES has developed. Both trainings are made possible through partnerships. Cooperative Extension partners with local farmers for REMC, while BAH partners NCCES staff from the Animal Science Department and College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State University. The success of these programs has had global impact and is a testament to the value of partnerships. Table 1. Training results for Civil Affairs Battalions self-assessments 1Scale 0 to 4: 0 = no knowledge, 4 = complete understanding 2Scale 1 to 10: 1 = no knowledge, 10 = complete understanding 3Scale 0 to 15: pre-/post-test scores out of 15; not paired by individual Table 1. Training results for Civil Affairs Battalions self-assessments 1Scale 0 to 4: 0 = no knowledge, 4 = complete understanding 2Scale 1 to 10: 1 = no knowledge, 10 = complete understanding 3Scale 0 to 15: pre-/post-test scores out of 15; not paired by individual