Job: Nutrition Care Specialist (68M)

JOIN THE U.S. ARMY!
To be a U.S. Army Soldier is to be a part of the strongest fighting force in the world. You'll spend your days training, working and serving together to protect America's freedoms. But you'll also have time after work for family, friends and personal interests. From recruitment to retirement, the U.S. Army provides a unique and diverse lifestyle for Soldiers.


More than a million meals are prepared every day in Army kitchens. Army hospitals are no exception, often preparing thousands of meals at one time. As an important member of the food service team, the Nutrition Care Specialist prepares all types of food according to standard and dietetic recipes, as well as ordering and inspecting food supplies and preparing meats for cooking. The Nutrition Care Specialist is primarily responsible for assisting in the supervision of medical nutrition care operations. Some of your duties as a Nutrition Care Specialist may include:

* Perform basic clinical dietetic functions in the dietary management
* Treatment of patients in nutrition clinics, clinical dietetics branches, health promotion and wellness clinics
* Perform nutritional assessments and screening of individual patients for nutritional risk
* Prepare and serve modified and regular food items in the management of the normal nutrition needs of individuals across the life span, under the supervision of a dietitian or NCO.

Job training for a Nutrition Care Specialist requires nine weeks of Basic Training, where you'll learn basic Soldiering skills, and seven weeks of Advanced Individual Training, including practice in food preparation. Some of the skills you'll learn are:

* Standard and dietetic menus and recipes
* Preparation and cooking of various foodstuffs and bakery products
* Food and supply ordering
* Storage of meats, poultry and other perishable items

Helpful attributes include:

* An interest in home economics, health, mathematics, accounting and chemistry
* An interest in cooking
* An interest in working with one's hands

Advanced level Nutrition Care Specialist provides guidance, supervises and trains other Soldiers within the same discipline. As an advanced level Nutrition Care Specialist, you may be involved in:

* Perform and supervise basic clinical dietetics functions in the dietary management and treatment of patients in nutrition clinics, clinical dietetics branches, health promotion and wellness clinics
* Perform nutritional assessments and screening of individual patients for nutritional risk
* Prepare and serve modified and regular food items in the management of the normal nutrition needs of individuals across the life span, under the supervision of a dietitian or senior NCO

The skills you learn as a Nutrition Care Specialist will help prepare you for a future with civilian cafes, restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, hospitals, manufacturing plants, schools and other organizations that have their own dining facilities. Depending on which specialty you pursue, you'll be able to pursue a career as a cook, chef, meat cutter, butcher or baker.

Through your extensive Army training and experience, and some additional study, you may be able to qualify for certification as a Dietary Managers Association Dietary Manager.

* Food Service Specialist (92G)
* Shower/Laundry and Clothing Repair Specialist (92S)
* Patient Administration Specialist (68G)
* Veterinary Food Inspection Specialist (68R)

Learn more about the relationship between military training and civilian certification requirements.