Photo By Keri Anne Smialek | Army Specialist Ryan Mathis, MOS 68R Veterinary Food Inspection Specialist performs...... read more read more
FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY – While many people wouldn’t consider a career in food inspection “cool”, one native of Belton, Texas, would respectfully disagree.
Army Specialist Ryan Mathis is assigned to Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) 68R. While his job title, Army Veterinary Food Inspection Specialist sounds quite plain, he says his duties are more complex than the name initially suggests.
“When I saw ‘food inspector’, I thought it sounded very simple”, Spec. Mathis admits. “The ‘veterinary’ in the title means we belong to the Veterinary Corps, but it does not mean we inspect dog food.”
Instead, their mission is to ensure all food intended for consumption by military members remains safe from contaminants, bacteria, or pathogens. In essence, 68R are partially charged with the incredible task of maintaining the readiness of our nation’s military.
It is a monumental responsibility, but one that comes with certain perks. When asked which locations were potential duty assignments for 68R, Spec. Mathis kind of chuckles, “well, anywhere there is food. It is a very travel-based MOS, so you will have a lot of opportunities to see a lot of different places.”
“We inspect the DFACS [dining facilities], the commissaries, MREs [military ready-to-eat meals], other food facilities on post, and basically anything consumable.”
During an eight-week advanced individual training (AIT) course taught at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, soldiers receive instruction which runs the gamut of food safety practices, from basic kitchen preparations to performing food protection in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear environments.
Both the wide range of training and the experience this MOS offers to soldiers can be easily translated to a civilian career after the military – a concept that Spec. Mathis considered before joining the Army right out of high school.
“I joined the Army because I had - and I think a lot of people have – the question, ‘what are you going to do for the rest of your life?’. I think the opportunities that the Army has are beneficial, especially since I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I don’t think a lot of people have that figured out at a young age”.
To learn more about Army opportunities, contact your local Army Recruiter, or visit www.goarmy.com
| Date Taken: | 10.17.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.12.2024 12:56 |
| Story ID: | 463690 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 172 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Army - MOS/Occupational Fields
