https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN42703-ARMY_DIR_2024-13-000-WEB-1.pdf
SECRETARY OF THE ARMY
WASHINGTON
1 9 DEC 2024
MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2024-13 (Roles and Responsibilities for Establishing Army Equid
Enterprise Program)
1. References. See references enclosed.
2. Purpose. This directive assigns roles and responsibilities for establishing the Army Equid
Enterprise (AEE) Program. The AEE Program will implement law and Department of
Defense (DoD) policy governing the use, care, and disposition of Department of the Army
military working equids; equids used in military morale, welfare, and recreation activities; and
personally owned equids housed on Army property.
3. Applicability. This directive applies to the Regular Army, Army National Guard/Army
National Guard of the United States, and U.S. Army Reserve, unless otherwise stated.
4. Policy.
a. The AEE Program will ensure that policies, standards, and procedures are in place to
enable organizations that incorporate equids to fulfill their missions while safeguarding the life,
health, safety, and welfare of equids pursuant to law and DoD policy. The AEE Program will
apply to:
(1) Department of the Army-owned equids used for ceremonial, demonstration, training,
and other military working equid missions, including mascots
(2) all equids on Army-controlled military installations, camps, posts, and organic
industrial bases for policy and procedures related to health and welfare; specifically, Army
owned equids used for recreational purposes and privately owned equids, including equids
associated with non-Federal entities authorized to operate on installations, camps, posts, or
organic industrial bases
b. The AEE Program will not apply to stray, feral, and wild equids that may be present on
Army-controlled property.
c. The Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) (ASA (M&RA))
directs the AEE Program. The AEE Program will govern management of equids on Army
property and management of a program using equids while overseeing requirements and
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2024-13 (Roles and Responsibilities for Establishing Army Equid
Enterprise Program)
ensuring funding is included in future program objective memorandums. The ASA (M&RA)
will-
(1) Develop and execute policy and standards for acquisition; transportation; housing;
usage; maintenance; care and feeding; farrier services; welfare; veterinary care; training of
personnel and equids; equid equipment, tack, and conveyances; and retirement, transfer,
adoption, or other disposition of equids, in accordance with Title 10, U.S. Code-
sections 2583(a)-(c)(l), 2583(d)-{e)(2), and 2583(i)(2).
(2) Produce and sustain a qualified cadre of Army Soldiers with horsemanship skills
(including riders and conveyance drivers) that can be tracked in Army personnel systems.
(3) Develop and oversee a program for sustaining equid veterinarian proficiency.
(4) Oversee equid force structure and resourcing requirements supporting select military
funeral honors, ceremonial, public affairs, and recruiting activities.
(5) Oversee equid caisson organizations' readiness to support select military funeral
honors, including those required by statute (reference 1b) ceremonial, public affairs, and
recruiting activities.
(6) Oversee the Office of The Surgeon General Task Force Military Working
Equids {TF-MWE) to promote, support, and sustain the health and welfare of all equids on Army
property as part of site assistance visits and no less than yearly site evaluations.
(7) Oversee a governance structure to address support requirements, policy
development, and problem resolution.
(8) If necessary, in accordance with Army Regulation 15-39, charter and chair an equid
expert advisory committee comprising military and Federal government experts to perform such
tasks as fact-finding, research, evaluation, studies, and/or reviews and to provide consensus
advice in support of tactical, operational, and strategic equid activities.
(9) If necessary, coordinate the appointment of Highly Qualified Experts with the
Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service to provide uncommon, special knowledge, skills,
and experience to assist in such tasks as fact-finding, research, evaluation, studies, and/or
reviews and to provide consensus advice in support of the AEE Program.
(10) Establish herd-readiness reporting standards and mechanisms to provide, at
minimum, the following information:
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SUBJECT: Army Directive 2024-13 (Roles and Responsibilities for Establishing Army Equid
Enterprise Program)
(a) adequacy of animal husbandry practices pursuant to reference lh and reported in
the Veterinary Services Information Management System (VSIMS)
(b) adequacy of stabling, pasture, and facilities pursuant to reference 1c
(c) herd-health of on-hand equids (Fully-Mission Capable, Limited. or Non-Mission
Capable)
(d) herd-mission readiness (number of missions herd can support, such as the number
of funerals per week, recruiting events per month, and ceremonial events per month)
(11) Establish incident reporting requirements and reporting mechanisms. At minimum,
ensure that these incidents will be reported:
(a) injury to a human, caused by an equid, requiring medical intervention, treatment by
medical personnel, or evacuation to higher-level care
(b) injury or illness of an equid that requires medical intervention or treatment by a
veterinarian and requires evacuation to a higher level of medical care
(c) actual or suspected cases of equid abuse on Army installations
(d) media reports of equid maltreatment on Army installations
(e) infrastructure deficiencies that jeopardize equid health, welfare, or safety
(f) death of an equid
(g) downward trend in TF-MWE site assessments
(h) commander assessment, in consultation with attending veterinarian, that an equid
site no longer meets standards
(i) positive media coverage of equid activities (such as participating in parades; training
with civilian or government agencies; awards; recognitions; and recruiting, retention, and
prevention activities)
(j) Any other incident the commander determines to be of immediate concern based on
the gravity, nature, potential for significant adverse publicity or consequences of the incident.
(12) Establish a congressional reporting mechanism to meet the requirements of
reference 1b.
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SUBJECT: Army Directive 2024-13 (Roles and Responsibilities for Establishing Army Equid
Enterprise Program)
5. Responsibilities.
a. The ASA (M&RA) will develop and oversee policies for the AEE Program, provide
resources for the program, and coordinate program policies and responsibilities with stakeholders.
b. The Chief of Public Affairs will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the public affairs
resources and services necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
c. The Deputy Chief ofStaff(DCS), G-1 will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the
human resources support necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
d. The DCS, G-3/5/7 will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the training, force generation,
force management, and readiness support necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
e. The DCS, G-4 will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the logistics and sustainment
support necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
f. The DCS, G-9 will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the installation support
necessary to meet AEE Program requirements. The DCS, G-9 will also provide the
ASA (M&RA) support with implementing AEE Program requirements in covered morale,
welfare, and recreation programs and non-appropriated fund instrumentalities while also
providing reports on resiliency efforts and efficacy using AEE programs.
g. The Surgeon General will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on the Army health systems
support necessary to meet AEE Program requirements. The Surgeon General will manage
TF-MWE to meet program objectives prescribed by the ASA (M&RA) and design what is to
replace TF-MWE.
h. The Commander, U.S. Army Forces Command will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA) on
the training and preparation of units requiring use of equids to meet AEE Program requirements.
i. The Commander, U.S. Army Materiel Command will coordinate with the ASA (M&RA)
on the real property, facilities infrastructure, technology, acquisition, and logistics support
necessary to meet AEE Program requirements.
j. The Commander, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command will coordinate with the
ASA (M&RA) on the training of Army personnel and equids to meet AEE Program requirements.
k. The Commanding General, U.S. Army Military District of Washington will coordinate
with the ASA (M&RA) on the Armed Forces ceremonial support necessary to meet AEE
Program requirements.
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SUBJECT: Army Directive 2024-13 (Roles and Responsibilities for Establishing Army Equid
Enterprise Program)
1. The Commanding General, U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) will coordinate
with the ASA (M&RA) on the recruitment of Army personnel to meet AEE Program
requirements and provide reports on USAREC activities associated with military working equids
with, at minimum, the number of impressions, prospect engagements, leads, and associated costs.
6. Proponent. The ASA (M&RA) is the proponent for AEE Program policy and will ensure that
the requirements of this directive and all applicable laws, regulations, and funding requirements
are incorporated into a new Army regulation by 1 September 2025.
7. Duration. This directive is rescinded on publication of the new Army regulation.
Encl
DISTRIBUTION:
Principal Officials of Headquarters, Department of the Army
Commander
U.S. Army Forces Command
U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command
U.S. Army Materiel Command
U.S. Army Futures Command
U.S. Army Pacific
U.S. Army Europe and Africa
U.S. Army Central
U.S. Army North
U.S. Army South
U.S. Army Special Operations Command
Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Strategic Command
U.S. Army Cyber Command
U.S. Army Medical Command
U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army Military District of Washington
U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command
U.S. Army Human Resources Command
U.S. Army Corrections Command
U.S. Army Recruiting Command
Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy
(CONT)
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SUBJECT: Army Directive 2024-13 (Roles and Responsibilities for Establishing Army Equid
Enterprise Program)
DISTRIBUTION: (CONT)
Commandant, U.S. Army War College
Director, U.S. Army Civilian Human Resources Agency
Executive Director, Military Postal Service Agency
Director, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division
Director, Civilian Protection Center of Excellence
Director, U.S. Army Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office
Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery
Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center
CF:
Principal Cyber Advisor
Director of Enterprise Management
Director, Office of Analytics Integration
Commander, Eighth Army
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REFERENCES
a. Title 10, U.S. Code, section 2583 (Military animals: transfer and adoption)
b. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, Public Law 118-31, section 366
(Establishment of Caisson Platoon and support for military and State funeral services at
Arlington National Cemetery)
c. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Public Law 117-263, section 391
(Implementation of recommendations relating to animal facility sanitation and plan for housing
and care of horses)
d. Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 6400.04E (DoD Veterinary Public and Animal
Health Services), 27 June 2013, incorporating Change 2, effective 29 August 2017
e. DoD Instruction 1015.10 (Military Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Programs),
6 July 2009, incorporating Change 1, effective 6 May 2011
f. DoD Instruction 1300.15 (Military Funeral Support), 27 December 2017, incorporating
Change 1, effective 9 April 2021
g. DoD Instruction 5410.19, Volume 1 (Community Outreach Activities: Policy Overview and
Evaluation Procedures), 29 September 2021
h. Army Regulation 40-905 (Veterinary Health Services), 29 August 2006
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Enclosure