Where To Get Experience

["Pete Myers" <PMYERS@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us>]

One suggestion for a way to get experience is to apply to one of
the military services to be brought on either as a Commissioned
Officer, a Non-Commissioned Officer or a Department of the (Army,
Air Force, Navy) Civilian.

I have just had the honor and priviledge of serving with the Army
Medical Department in a variety of assignments and can speak from
personal experience about the opportunities available in that Service.

     Persons with Technician-level training/education (Associates
     Degrees) come onto active duty as Enlisted Personnel with
     opportunities for promotion into Non-Commissioned Officer
     status (Corporal or Sergeant) typically takes 1-2 years.

     Persons with Bachelor Degrees in hard science (preferably
     Health Physics) come onto active duty as Second Lieutenants;
     persons with Masters Degrees as First Lieutenants; persons
     with PhDs as Captains.  Promotions from 2LT to 1LT and 1LT to
     CPT typically take 2 years each.

Assignments are worldwide; mostly within medical programs.

Pay and obligations (how long you commit to staying) vary -- but
the opportunity for obtaining excellent experience as Radiation
Safety Officers on Nuclear Regulatory Commission-issued licenses
(after an initial assignment as an Assistant RSO (or comparable))
while reaping the personal reward of selfless service to Country
is unmatched anywhere on earth.

If you're relatively young (<30), healthy and motivated you can
contact Colonel Bill Johnson, currently assigned as the Radiation
Safety Officer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, who also is the
Army Medical Department's point of contact for persons interested in
joining.  His e-mail address is wjohnson@wramc.e-mail-amedd.army.mil.

He tells me that 12 persons have already applied for or indicated an
interest in the 7 available positions for this year . . . but, if
you're good, go for it . . .

Pete Myers, Cf, Med & Acad Licensing
Bureau Rad Control, Texas Dept Hlth
pmyers "at" brc1.tdh.state.tx.us