Environmental Health

Responsibilities

Navy Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) focus on the prevention and control of diseases in Navy and Marine Corps populations. In this role, your responsibilities may include:

• Determining effective methods of assessing threats to public health
• Conducting ongoing disease and environmental surveillance
• Identifying potential dangers and developing countermeasures for actual and potential threats
• Providing guidance to Commanding Officers on matters relating to public health and sanitation
• Championing essential programs that protect public health and promote sanitary practices
• Earning a nationally recognized credential as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) from the National Environmental Health Association This role covers many areas of specialization. As an EHO, your work may focus on:
• Food service sanitation and safety
• Public health sanitation
• Water and wastewater safety in both ashore and afloat environments
• Communicable disease control
• Risk communication
• Biostatistical and epidemiological threat assessment
• Thermal stress control
• Vector control
• Preventive medicine
• Disease outbreak prevention and investigation
• Bioterrorism defense

Work Environment

Navy Environmental Health Officers may serve at any one of more than 250 Navy and medical facilities around the globe, from Hawaii to Japan, Germany to Guam, and Washington, D.C. to Washington state. As an EHO, you could work at one of the highly acclaimed National Naval Medical Centers in Bethesda, MD; Portsmouth, VA; and San Diego, CA. Or you could provide support to pilots and air crews aboard one of two dedicated hospital ships, the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy. You could even conduct research at the Navy Environmental Health Center (NEHC) in Portsmouth, VA.

Training & Advancement

Upon completion of college or graduate school, those pursuing an Environmental Health Officer position are required to attend Officer Development School (ODS) in Newport, RI. ODS is a five-week program that provides a comprehensive and intense introduction to the responsibilities of Navy Staff Corps Officers. Here they learn about the military structure of the U.S. Navy, its rich history of traditions and customs, leadership development and military etiquette. Once training is complete, you may be assigned to a Naval Medical Center, a dedicated hospital ship, or the Navy Environmental Health Center (NEHC) in Portsmouth, VA. Promotion opportunities are regularly available but competitive and based on performance. It’s also important to note that specialized training received and work experience gained in the course of service can lead to valuable credentialing and occupational opportunities in related fields.

Education Opportunities

Wherever you are in your professional career, the Navy can help ease your financial burdens and advance your career with generous financial assistance and continuing education programs. Opportunities for further education within this platform include:

• Navy College Program
• VOLED Assistance Center
• VOLED Region Advisors
• The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS)
• Naval War College (NWC)
• USAF Air University Air Command and Staff College Through the Navy Health Professions Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP), you may be eligible to receive financial assistance to pay down the cost of your graduate education.
• Graduate Students
• In the Navy Health Services Collegiate Program (HSCP) you can receive up to $134,600 while finishing a degree. This includes a monthly military salary, a generous housing allowance and a comprehensive health-care benefits package.

Qualifications & Requirements

A degree from a four-year college or university is a minimum educational requirement to become a Commissioned Officer. You must also attend Officer Training. There may be exceptions to the degree requirements based on extensive service experience. To qualify for employment consideration as an Environmental Health Officer in the Navy Medical Service Corps, you must meet the following requirements.

Basic Requirements:

• Be a U.S. citizen currently practicing in the United States
• Hold a Bachelor’s or Master's degree in environmental health from an EHAC-accredited program, OR a Master's of Public Health degree with a concentration in environmental health from a CEPH-accredited college
• Completed coursework in environmental health, epidemiology, food safety, water quality, air quality, solid waste and wastewater management, communicable diseases, public health sanitation, vector control, toxicology, risk assessment, risk communication, biostatistics, and microbiology
• Be willing to serve a minimum of three years of Active Duty
• Be between the ages of 18 and 41
• Be in good physical condition and pass a full medical examination
• Preferred Requirements:
• Certification as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) or Registered Sanitarian (RS) through the National Environmental Health Association or a state agency
• Masters applicants should have an undergraduate degree in environmental health or biological life sciences. Physical science degrees, such as chemistry and physics, may be acceptable with additional coursework in the life sciences, such as microbiology, zoology or human physiology
• Field experience in an environmental health-related occupation
• Certification as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist or Registered Sanitarian through the National Environmental Health Association or a state agency
• Completed graduate-level coursework with GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Interview by an Active Duty Environmental Health Officer (Lieutenant or above) General qualifications may vary depending upon whether you’re currently serving, whether you’ve served before or whether you’ve never served before.