First year veterinary student, Francesca Weiher, was recently promoted to captain at the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion.
Before attending Texas Tech University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, I was a Military Intelligence Officer in the United States Army. I completed Officer
Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Basic Officer Leadership Course at
Fort Huachuca, Arizona in 2020. I spent the majority of my active-duty career at the
525th Expeditionary Military
Intelligence Brigade (E-MIB), supporting the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg,
North Carolina. During that time, I served as a platoon leader for the 319th Intelligence
Electronic Warfare (IEW) Battalion Interrogation Team, a liaison between the G2 (Intelligence
Division) and the 319th IEW Battalion, and the Brigade S2 (Intelligence Supervisor)
for the 525th E-MIB. I had the honor of representing my unit and serving my country
during Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and Operation Allies Refuge in support of the
evacuation from the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan.
Although I loved my time in service, I wanted to follow my passion for pursuing a
career in veterinary medicine. I was not quite ready to fully leave my Army career
behind, so I decided to join the Army Reserves while working towards my Doctor of
Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
degree. I was recently promoted to captain at the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion for
successfully completing the required career milestones and serving in specified key
development positions with strong periodic review marks. My goal is to continue serving
in the Army Reserves while pursuing my DVM, as long as my two schedules can coexist.
After earning my DVM, I aim to cater to the care of animals in rural communities within
the United States and to continue my service in the United States Army, providing
veterinary care to rural communities worldwide. My passion lies with mixed animal
practice, primarily with shelter medicine, disaster relief, and emergency care. I
would also like to stay involved with American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
and Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) to advocate for our rural communities
and protect them from environmental damage and exploitation.