Posted on Oct 29, 2020
What should I do if my MOS is not being utilized or valued in my current unit?
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For some background information I was stationed at my current unit in a preventive medicine slot, and have been here a year. The problem here is that there is no preventive medicine mission, so instead they have me helping the 68R or Food inspectors. That is all fine and good and I can understand that and understand helping out at times due to to low manpower, however the leadership here expects me to act in a complete food inspector capacity, where they want to try to write a SOP that justifies this and have me go to the ICTL trainings for the Romeo's, when I have not done any of my own MOS training for this full year. Upon talking with my first line who is also the NCOIC for the branch at present, she has informed me that "eventually" things will be taken care of. As a promotable it's disenhartening to be waiting on points and potentially become a SGT in an MOS that I will know nothing about, and be tragically behind on my training or any activity regarding my MOS if this is to keep up for the two remaining years I have in this unit. All advice is appreciated, thank you in advance!
Japan
Advice
68S: Preventive Medicine Specialist
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 13
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SPC Tubbs, coincidentally i was stationed in Japan twice. First time as the NCOIC at the MEDDAC Preventive Medicine Activity from 1985 to 1988. We had food service sanitation responsibility, drinking water surveillance, mosquito surveillance, and general preventive medicine program responsibility for Camp Zama, Sagami Depot, and Sagami Hara housing areas, the US counselate in Tokyo, and the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo. When I was there the second time from 1995 to 1998 I was the NCOIC of the Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine - Pacific. We had Pacific theater responsibility for the entire Preventive Medicine, Occupational Health, Community Health, Industrial Hygiene and the rest of the spectrum of preventive medicine. My next PM assignment was Seegeant Major at the Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine in Aberdeen, MD from 2000 to 2002 with worldwide responsibility. All of that was prior to the MEDCOM downsizing which included merging the Army Veterinary Command and the Army CHPPM commands to form the Army Public Health Command. All that said, i do not know how the work of the 63S and the 63R was redistributed at the same time. All of that took place after I retired in 2005. Specifically what work are the wanting you to do that you consider to be 63S duties?
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SGM Brian Carter
Pardon my confused writing above. What 63R work are the asking you to do?
When I was in, there was what I considered to be a wasteful overlap of responsibilities for the two MOSs. The 63Rs were food inspectors and inspected the food sources that the Army procured food from and did laboratory tests of the food for wholesomeness. They also inspected the Army food warehouses and the commissary. They also did BACTERIA tests of the water in those facilities using the same equipment we used to test the drinking water on every installation. The 63Ss inspected the food service (AAFES snack bars and restaurants, club kitchens, dining facilities, etc of the facilities that served food. They also tested all of the water on the installation. What has changed?
When I was in, there was what I considered to be a wasteful overlap of responsibilities for the two MOSs. The 63Rs were food inspectors and inspected the food sources that the Army procured food from and did laboratory tests of the food for wholesomeness. They also inspected the Army food warehouses and the commissary. They also did BACTERIA tests of the water in those facilities using the same equipment we used to test the drinking water on every installation. The 63Ss inspected the food service (AAFES snack bars and restaurants, club kitchens, dining facilities, etc of the facilities that served food. They also tested all of the water on the installation. What has changed?
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SGT (Join to see)
SGM Brian Carter Good afternoon SGM Carter,
First things first I would like to appologize on the delay in seeing your responce. I am absolutely grateful for you responding
Phc now has a small branch off consisting of public health activity that contains one slot for a Sierra and the rest Romeo's (or Tangos since it primarily consists of the vet clinic)
The duties of the food inspection personal are to inspect the commissaries daily, and any other facility that handles or stores food on a monthly basis, as well as send up food samples for testing on a monthly basis and handle inspecting foods customers come back with complainants or there might be something unwholesome regarding the food.
Phc which is also our HQ has certain areas for Sierra personal, like an ento lab and industrial hygiene people that come around but the roles are filled with officers and civilians and the other two sierra personal work in admin.
Meddac has the assigned PM detail for Zama currently, and since I haven't gotten to work in a Sierra capacity it's hard to know all of what they do, though I know they go around and inspect facilities for safety reasons and sanitaries on the food establishments that the romeo personal do.
They have me in a 100% Romeo capacity from doing daily inspections and customer complaints, to being sat in their ICTL classes and trainings.
I don't mind helping out due to the lack of personnel or anything like that, but it is a bit disinheriting when I'm sitting through Romeo ictls and I haven't even credentialed or had any type of sierra training or anything that would really help my career as a Sierra in over a year and a half of course minus BLC but that was something they had to send me to through the step program.
I hope that this helps a bit on clarifying? I wrote the original post a while back, so I don't want anything to be confusing. Again, thank you so much for your responce
First things first I would like to appologize on the delay in seeing your responce. I am absolutely grateful for you responding
Phc now has a small branch off consisting of public health activity that contains one slot for a Sierra and the rest Romeo's (or Tangos since it primarily consists of the vet clinic)
The duties of the food inspection personal are to inspect the commissaries daily, and any other facility that handles or stores food on a monthly basis, as well as send up food samples for testing on a monthly basis and handle inspecting foods customers come back with complainants or there might be something unwholesome regarding the food.
Phc which is also our HQ has certain areas for Sierra personal, like an ento lab and industrial hygiene people that come around but the roles are filled with officers and civilians and the other two sierra personal work in admin.
Meddac has the assigned PM detail for Zama currently, and since I haven't gotten to work in a Sierra capacity it's hard to know all of what they do, though I know they go around and inspect facilities for safety reasons and sanitaries on the food establishments that the romeo personal do.
They have me in a 100% Romeo capacity from doing daily inspections and customer complaints, to being sat in their ICTL classes and trainings.
I don't mind helping out due to the lack of personnel or anything like that, but it is a bit disinheriting when I'm sitting through Romeo ictls and I haven't even credentialed or had any type of sierra training or anything that would really help my career as a Sierra in over a year and a half of course minus BLC but that was something they had to send me to through the step program.
I hope that this helps a bit on clarifying? I wrote the original post a while back, so I don't want anything to be confusing. Again, thank you so much for your responce
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I understand this issue all too well as a CBRN NCO; I get tasked with supply and Homeland Tasks all the time.
What I have started doing to remain efficient in my MOS is taking online classes and enrolling in local Chemical Training with other units.
Another point that has helped me was to keep reminding my Unit how valuable my MOS is to their success. My expertise is needed to help pass inspections on Chemical equipment.
You need to communicate to your leadership just how much you are required to ensure your unit succeeds.
What I have started doing to remain efficient in my MOS is taking online classes and enrolling in local Chemical Training with other units.
Another point that has helped me was to keep reminding my Unit how valuable my MOS is to their success. My expertise is needed to help pass inspections on Chemical equipment.
You need to communicate to your leadership just how much you are required to ensure your unit succeeds.
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Not sure if you're planning to stay in or get out. But being placed into some what unfamiliar may end up becomes useful to add on your resume when you go for civilian job which makes you as all around player. I don't think any soldiers will go by SOP based on where they stationed at. It's all about how much effort you invest yourself from what has given you.
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