Veterinary Services Food Safety Officer

Overview

The veterinary services food safety warrant officer is a highly specialized officer in the area of food safety and defense. The warrant officer is selected by competitive application from the NCO ranks of designated Army National Gurad feeder MOSs.

Job duties

• Supervises, directs, and manages food inspection personnel and equipment essential for maintenance of military food hygiene and food quality assurance under the guidance of a veterinarian
• Applies specialized technical knowledge and skill regarding nonmedical aspects of animal care and control
• Supervises the preparation of veterinary activity reports
• Coordinates food inspection operations of veterinary detachments and activities
• manages and directs personnel, facilities, and equipment required for military food hygiene, safety and quality assurance under the guidance and supervision of the Deputy Command for Veterinary Services
• Organizes and conducts sanitary inspections, recognizes sanitary deficiencies, and completes sanitary compliance ratings of civilian and government facilities that produce, process, prepare, manufacture, store, or otherwise handle subsistence
• Provides assistance to the veterinarian in the administration and management of the veterinary non-appropriated fund, including accounting, inventory requirements, and ordering procedures

Training

The Veterinary Services Food Safety Warrant Officer is a highly specialized Officer in the area of food safety and defense. The Warrant Officer is selected by competitive application from the NCO ranks of designated Army National Guard feeder MOSs. Currently only Army National Guard NCOs (SGT(P) and higher) who hold the 68R and 68S MOSs are eligible to apply. More detailed and updated information is included in the annual MILPER Message, which is normally released in January or February of the recruiting year. Upon selection, warrant officer candidates are sent to the Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) at Fort Rucker, AL. Following completion of this course, they go through an intensive food inspection/science course at Fort Sam Houston, TX. The 640A Veterinary Food Safety Officers serve as the commander's subject matter experts for all matters dealing with food safety and defense. Feeder MOSs are 68R Veterinary Food Inspection Specialist and 68S Preventive Medicine Specialist.

Civilian career relevance

The technical and leadership experience developed in this role may support related civilian career pathways.