Date: 01.15.2026
By Douglas Holl, Defense Health Agency-Public Health Public Affairs
When a military working dog gets sick overseas, the issue can involve
more than just animal health. When service members deploy to regions
with different diseases, there are more than just human health hazards to
consider. When food safety becomes a problem at a military dining
facility, the cause could be germs originating from humans, animals, or
the environment. These interconnected health challenges require an
integrated solution, and that’s where One Health comes in.
“I prefer to think of One Health as integrated public health, working collaboratively across multiple disciplines,”
said Dr. Kristina McElroy, Veterinary Defense Support of Civil Authorities and interagency coordinator, Veterinary
Services Division, Defense Health Agency-Public Health in Falls Church, Virginia. “This transdisciplinary
approach guides my daily work as a veterinarian in DHA-Public Health.”
This collaborative approach is protecting military communities worldwide by recognizing that human health,
animal health, and environmental health are closely connected.
What is One Health?
One Health is a simple but powerful idea: The health of people, animals, and the environment are linked. When one
area has a problem, it can affect the others. For military communities, One Health means taking a team approach to
prevent diseases, ensure food safety, and protect service members and their families.
Deployment health protection
When service members deploy, they may face unique health challenges that civilian communities rarely encounter.
Service members travel frequently, encounter or work with animals, and deploy to regions with different risks of
infectious disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, zoonotic diseases are caused by germs that spread
between animals and people, and are caused by harmful germs like viruses, bacterial parasites, and fungi.
“Different vectors may be present that increase risk of certain zoonotic diseases, so we consider different parasite
prevention and sometimes different daily management practices to limit exposure,” said Lt. Col. Crystal Doyle,
chief of animal medicine, Veterinary Services Division, DHA-Public Health. “We must also be familiar with
differing requirements for reportable diseases in the various countries in which we work.”
This global perspective is also essential for protecting military families. When service members deploy to different
regions, they may encounter diseases that aren’t prevalent in their home stations. One Health approaches help
identify these risks early and develop prevention strategies. “The benefits of One Health aren’t theoretical; they’re
saving lives and protecting military operations every day,” said McElroy.
“During outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, chikungunya, Zika, as well as COVID-19 — which are all
zoonotic diseases — the collaborative interdisciplinary approach of One Health has protected service members’
health,” said McElroy. “Veterinary Services has worked hand in hand with colleagues at the Armed Forces Health
Surveillance Division, the military services and U.S. government agencies to ensure guidance and
recommendations are coordinated and appropriate for the military population.”
Military working dogs
The One Health approach also benefits the health and welfare of military working dogs. MWDs are valuable team
members who can be affected by zoonotic diseases that can also affect service members.
“There have been MWD kennels with multiple dogs affected by similar clinical signs and symptoms that pointed to
a possible zoonotic disease,” said Doyle. “While testing was pending to determine a definitive diagnosis,
operational tempo was decreased to limit human exposure to the suspected zoonotic disease.”
Military veterinarians also submit ticks from their patients for disease screening, or disease confirmation if a
patient is suspected of being infected, said Doyle.
“We routinely submit blood samples from our MWD population to screen for tick-borne diseases, many of which
are also found in the human population (such as Lyme disease).”
Food Safety Protection
Food safety is a key part of the One Health mission, as military dining facilities serve thousands of meals daily.
“The military uses a multidisciplinary, multiservice, and interagency approach to analyze food safety and security
from a One Health perspective,” said Lt. Col. Melissa Hehr, deputy chief, Veterinary Services Division, DHAPublic Health. “This requires close coordination amongst agencies and military services with responsibilities for
food procurement, food protection, food sanitation, preventive medicine, public health, diagnostic laboratory,
policy, and regulatory functions.”
Global health security benefits
One Health approaches don’t just protect individual service members; they strengthen global health security for
everyone.
“Military One Health initiatives leverage unique military capabilities to contribute to the United States’ global
health security efforts,” said McElroy. “Specifically for veterinary services, the DOW (Department of War)
provides training to veterinarians and public health professionals in partner nations, strengthening their capacity to
prevent and respond to disease outbreaks.”
The military also helps strengthen public health infrastructure worldwide, including “laboratories, surveillance
systems, and disease reporting networks” that benefit both military and civilian populations, said McElroy.
Monitoring emerging threats
Military veterinarians, physicians, environmental health specialists, and public health experts work together using
One Health principles. This teamwork helps identify health threats early and respond more effectively than any
single group could. An example of this type of collaboration can be found in how these teams are managing the
threat of New World screwworm.
“There is currently ongoing collaboration between military veterinary, medical, biosurveillance, and pest
management teams to monitor and prepare for a potential incursion of New World screwworm into the United
States,” said Hehr. “This flesh-eating parasite is actually a perfect example of a One Health problem where an
integrative approach is being used to analyze, monitor, and mitigate the threat posed to human, animal, and
environmental health, as well as military operations, food and agriculture, and national security.”
Overcoming challenges
Implementing One Health approaches in military settings requires overcoming unique challenges. “I think the
greatest challenge to implementing a One Health approach lies in our ability to develop a mutual understanding of
the capabilities, responsibilities, and authorities of the various organizations and entities that are required for
effective One Health integration under different contexts,” said Hehr. Military health teams work to build these
relationships through various communication methods, including news articles, information papers, social media
posts, email, meetings, webinars, and educational courses, said Hehr.
Working together for health
The success of One Health depends on collaboration across different specialties and organizations.
“At DHA Veterinary Services, we strive for collaborative communication and integration across the joint force and
entire DOW,” McElroy explains.
This teamwork includes partnerships among military veterinarians, human health professionals, environmental
specialists, and public health experts from all service branches. The approach is proactive rather than reactive. By
working across traditional boundaries, military health professionals can identify threats earlier, respond more
effectively, and protect service members and their families more completely. As health threats become more
complex and global, One Health approaches become more important for protecting military communities.
The Defense Health Agency supports our Nation by improving health and building readiness—making
extraordinary experiences ordinary and exceptional outcomes routine.
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