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CORVALLIS - An Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine student from Billings, Mont. has earned the one of the nation's toughest military scholarships, leading her to commissioned officer status in the Army Veterinary Corps.

Rhonda Reaves, a first-year student in the college's professional degree program, was awarded a three-year U.S. Army Health Care Department's F. Hébert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship. She is the first person from Oregon State University in the last nine years to be selected for the honor.

"This is quite the accomplishment," said Army 1st Lt. Lance McIntire. "This is the most competitive of the service scholarships."

In all, 18 Army veterinary scholarships were awarded nationwide this year.

"Veterinary science has been a lifelong goal for me," said Reaves, moments before McIntire swore her in as a second lieutenant in the Army before a crowd of College of Veterinary Medicine peers. When she graduates from OSU with the Class of 2008 she'll be promoted to captain.

Medicine runs in her family as she has a great-uncle, an uncle and three cousins who are all practicing veterinarians. Among her pets are a three-legged cat, a greyhound, a guinea pig and two birds.

As part of her scholarship award, Reaves will receive a $1,235 per month stipend. In addition, the Army will cover fees, tuition and books for the next three years. She'll also receive 45 days of full-time pay for each year during her schooling.

In exchange, Reaves said she'll owe the Army three years of active duty.

While her primary interest is in small animal practice, such as dogs, cats and other common household pets, it can be tough to predict what she'll see during her service years.

The Army's Veterinary Corps has comprehensive responsibilities for animal health, food safety and quality assurance, and research and development in U.S. military facilities at more than 1,000 locations in countries throughout the world, McIntire said.

And, since the Army is the only branch of the service with a veterinary section, Reaves could find herself working with the Air Force, the Navy or any other branch of the service, he added.

Army veterinarians also help develop vaccines and antidotes to protect U.S. troops from chemical and biological-warfare agents, help ensure the integrity of the Army's food supply, and care for government-owned animals ranging from working dogs to marine mammals and ceremonial horses.

Depending on assignments, Reaves could find herself treating camels, donkeys, goats or other domestic or wild creatures, he added.

Despite the range of responsibilities, both Reaves and McIntire said most tasks will probably involve care for common household animals.

In addition to veterinary science, Army Health Care offers more than 90 professional health care career paths - more than any other military service. Army Health Care annually employs more than 73,500 active duty professionals and 72,000 reserves, interacting with more than 200,000 patients on an average day.

The OSU College of Veterinary Medicine was established in 1975 and is one of only 28 such institutions in the U.S., one of only four west of the Rocky Mountains and is the only veterinary medicine school in Oregon.