History

The 2008 Veterinary Corps Chiefs' LTC Daniel Holland Leadership Award was awarded to LTC Kindall L. Jones, Commander of the 994th Medical Detachment. This award provides personal recognition by the Chief, US Army Veterinary Corps for one Veterinary Corps officer (VCO) who best exemplifies and has made significant contributions in leadership in the Veterinary Corps. Selection of the veterinarian will be from the rank of Major or Lieutenant Colonel. This is an annual award and requires nomination from units/organizations to which the individuals are assigned. This award applies to all commands, agencies, activities, and organizations with Veterinary Corps officers assigned. Active duty, Army Reserve, and National Guard VCOs are eligible.

The 2009 nominations will be submitted before a board on or about 1 May 2009. The award will be presented at the 12th Annual Force Health Protection Conference in Albequerque, New Mexico from 15-21 August 2009. For nomination procedures, please contact the Veterinary Corps Chief's office.

"Glad you got to see me."

Daniel will be remembered for his warm and outgoing personality, his dedicated service to our great country, and the way he always made people laugh when it came time to say goodbye, because he'd smile and say, "Glad you got to see me!"

LTC Holland, soldier and MWD He graduated from High School in 1981, where he was selected to give the commencement address, entered Oklahoma State University on an ROTC scholarship, transferring after three years into OSU's College of Veterinary Medicine. His dreams were realized when he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army in 1984 and when he received a DVM degree in 1988. LTC Holland's 21-year career in the military included tours in Germany, Bosnia, Honduras, and Haiti, where he was able to use his Masters Degree in Public Health. His love for animals and his compassion for people of all nations were profound. His favorite times were spent with his wife and his "munchkins" helping them develop their love of animals and the outdoor life. LTC Holland was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Purple Heart. His other military decorations include four awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal, and he was proud to have earned the Expert Field Medical Badge and Parachutist Badge.

America LTC Holland in Iraq LTC Daniel Edward Holland, hero, beloved husband, father, son, and brother, died May 18th, 2006 while serving his country on a civil affairs mission in Iraq. LTC Holland personified leadership and was a favorite among many in the Veterinary Service. He and three other soldiers along with an Iraqi interpreter were killed by a roadside bomb near Baghdad while on a humanitarian mission to aid the people of Iraq. LTC Holland is survived by his wife, son and daughter, parents and nine siblings. He will be missed immeasurably.