 Historically, the importance of wholesome, nutritious food is a matter of record. Superior performance by Men at Sea has always been related to good nutrition and sound health. A wholesome, high-quality diet is essential for all naval and marine personnel. For more than 60 years, the Army and later the Air Force Veterinary Services have provided food inspection support for the United States Navy and Marines during peace and war. Because of their expertise in the field of animal health, as well as their knowledge of food chemistry and microbiology, veterinary service personnel are more than capable of shouldering the food or subsistence inspection responsibility. American seapower commitments are worldwide, at most naval facilities are within reach of Army veterinary support. Typical Army veterinary missions supporting naval operations can be observed at the San Diego branch of the U.S. Army Medec at Fort Ord, California. Here the military veterinary service performs the mission of safeguarding the health of Navy and Marine Corps personnel and preventing financial loss through accurate and timely inspection of subsistence during purchase, handling, and storage. This food inspection may require coordination with one of three different accountable agencies. The Navy resale system, the Naval Supply System Command, or Defense Personnel Support Center. Inspection coordination for DPSC controlled subsistence is accomplished in accordance with their directives. When subsistence is intended for consumption in dining facilities, a shore or a float, the Naval Supply Officer assumes total responsibility. The officer in charge of the commissary or the resale system is accountable for items destined for resale that are procured either from DPSC or local procurement. He operates under commissary store region similar to the present Army concept. This region functions under the direction of the Navy resale office. An inter-service support agreement or ISSA, executed by the Army Command providing the veterinary support and the requesting Navy Command, specifies the type and amount of veterinary support provided a particular naval facility. The Marine Corps order and Navy supply instructions are considered in developing the ISSA. The ISSA establishes the relationship between the naval facility and the veterinary service. It should describe support that the veterinary service requires from the Navy such as offices, billets, utilities, finance, janitorial services, and transportation. It should also specify the veterinary services to be provided such as food inspection, food establishment sanitary inspections, and animal disease prevention and control. Provisions of the ISSA will vary from station to station. Five of the nine recognized classes of military food inspection may be performed at Navy installations. Class four inspection, the procurement inspection at destination of subsistence purchased for the Navy by DPSC is for all terms of the contract, just as at an Army installation. Veterinary personnel work closely with Navy personnel to assure that only quality products in good condition are accepted. Products which have undergone excessive deterioration will not be accepted following class four inspection. Low grade eggs will have less eye appeal and shorter storage life than higher quality eggs. Contaminated food could possibly cause foodborne illness which is always a problem and would be particularly significant in a submarine. In the case of fresh meat products, class four inspections are normally performed at the time of delivery to the commissary. Inspection is performed to ensure a wholesome product and the quality ordered. Class four inspections of defense personnel support center contracted items follow procedures outlined in the DPSC inspection manual. Non-conformances are reported to the commissary officer or supply officer who will determine acceptance or rejection of the item. The commissary store region authorizes local purchase of those items catalogued in the Navy commissary stock list and price catalog. These items do not usually have specification type requirements but inspection will be performed if requested by the naval officer in charge of the commissary. It is his responsibility to ensure that local purchase items originate from approved sources and it is the inspector's responsibility to notify him when violations are noted. Joint service regulation AR 40-657 directs surveillance inspection of government owned subsistence at Navy and Marine Corps installations. The ISSA may designate this as a responsibility of the veterinary officer. Class five, six, seven and nine inspections deal with subsistence already owned by the government. Class six inspections surveillance inspections prior to shipment may be performed either at dockside or at a warehouse prior to loading a board ship or transfer to another shore station. These stocks will be under DPSC control. Only Code A semi-perishable subsistence will be accepted for use aboard ship. Code A indicates the product has at least six months shelf life remaining and may be issued without restriction. The subsistence officer may request an inspection of the product to extend shelf life and continue the Code A classification. Inspection of delivery vehicles for general sanitation and proper temperatures is conducted prior to loading. The product is inspected and any discrepancies are noted on the inspection report and reported to the accountable officer. The class six inspection report is retained in the inspection office unless the subsistence is being shipped overseas. Reference may be made to these reports in the event of an unsatisfactory material report or other communication pertaining to receipt of distressed products. Class five inspection or inspection performed on any receipt except purchase is performed on government owned subsistence when received at destination. The inspector must be alert for deterioration that may have resulted from transportation problems such as an excessively high temperature or shifted loads. It may be necessary to perform destructive sampling to detect internal deterioration. Problems should be reported to the food services officer of the supply office and to the veterinary office that conducted the class six inspection. The transportation officer must also be notified if the problem is due to transportation. Upon request subsistence items intended for use at Navy commissaries undergo class seven inspection. This is a surveillance inspection performed at issue or sale. Navy commissaries are tenants on the installation. They operate under regulations issued by the commissary store region. Veterinary inspectors should establish a close working relationship with the officer in charge of the commissary to resolve such problems as temperature or code date discrepancies of fluid milk. When major problems or recurring deficiencies occur it may be necessary for the veterinary officer to coordinate with the commissary store region. Class seven inspection is an inspection performed at the time of issue or sale. Items intended for use in dining facilities are warehouse to the supply center. The customer service division of the center may request class seven inspection. A detailed report of a class seven inspection is submitted to customer service division when a problem is encountered. Class nine inspections are cyclic inspections performed during storage on government owned perishable and semi perishable stocks to be held in storage for long periods of time. Computer listings on stocks controlled by the Navy may not be available. Therefore the inspector should develop a system that ensures timely inspection in accordance with AR 40-657. He may select his samples and mark them for warehouse personnel to remove at a later time so the actual inspection can be performed in the laboratory. The inspector should be alert for damaged cases even if the product is not due for an inspection. The officer in charge of receiving and storage and personnel in the requirements division should be notified if distressed products require expeditious handling. When inspecting DPSC stock managed by the Navy, Appendix S of DPSC manual 4155.5 is used to determine the sample sizes. Inspection of the product ordinarily may be accomplished by organoleptic methods. In some cases special equipment is needed such as a vacuum chamber used to check for faulty packaging of vacuum packed foods. The veterinary service may recommend the disposition of damaged food items but the naval supply system makes the final decision on the disposition of the product. The ship supply officer or subsistence officer may request veterinary inspection of subsistence aboard ship. When boarding a ship the ensign or flag is saluted first and then the officer of the deck is saluted. When departing the officer of the deck is saluted and then the ensign. This protocol is a tradition unique to the Navy. Veterinary personnel should become familiar with and comply with Navy protocol. Both perishable and semi-perishable products may be inspected. Inspection of semi-perishable products may be requested to determine if shelf life can be extended. When one sees the congested storage area aboard ship it is very apparent that proper marking and display of markings are essential to assure proper identity and rotation of subsistence stocks. Proper rotation of stock is important both aboard ship and in warehouses. Veterinary personnel should also work closely with the Naval Preventive Medicine Unit. The PMU may often assist the veterinary service by providing such services as the identification of insects infesting subsistence items. Military Standard 903 is a joint Army Navy publication which outlines the procedures for inspection of commissaries. When the ISSA provides for a veterinary inspection of commissaries this document should be utilized. The veterinary service provides support for Naval hospitals that utilize laboratory animals for research. Full-time Army veterinary officers may provide this expertise at Naval Medical Research Units or NAMRUs. Veterinarians have supported NAMRUs not only in CONUS but in such areas as Egypt and Taiwan. The military working dog used by the Navy or Marine Corps has provided complete veterinary medical care. Dog's training is periodically observed to determine its effectiveness. Personnel arriving at a veterinary duty station supporting Naval operations should first familiarize themselves with the standing operating procedures. This will help him determine whom to contact when problems develop and how to provide the services specified in the ISSA. Incoming veterinary personnel should be introduced to Naval personnel with whom he will be working. Upon arrival, supervisory veterinary personnel should call on the senior medical officer. Continuous coordination with medical and command personnel can be maintained by periodic reports and personal visits. Major problems should be brought to their attention immediately. At home and abroad the veterinary service shares in the duty of keeping American sailors and Marines fit and ready for any contingency.