JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MD. –
Bioenvironmental technicians at Joint Base Andrews carry many responsibilities, all of them directly tied to the health and safety of JBA service members and families.
From sampling the base's water, to making sure the environments JBA personnel work in are safe, bioenvironmental technicians are critical to mission success.
"We provide health-risk assessments to make sure the commander has all the information when making critical decisions," said Senior Airman Thomas Hollingsworth, 779th Aerospace Medicine Squadron bioenvironmental technician. "We also optimize combat performance and minimize casualties in the case of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents."
JBA bioenvironmental technicians are on track to provide approximately 1,000 gas mask fittings to service members in Maryland and Virginia from Fort Meade, Fort Belvoir, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Walter Reed Medical Facility and, of course, JBA by the end of the year.
The technicians also perform more than 140 water tests each year, and also assess shops for occupational hazards to keep JBA, and pregnant, service members safe.
"We assess work environments relative to individual pregnancies," said Airman First Class Sarah Vantilburg, 779th AMS bioenvironmental technician. "There are many occupational hazards that could harm the mother or put the pregnancy in danger. For example, chemicals used by the 11th Civil Engineer Squadron can pose significant health risks."
These are also the same Airmen you might see wearing HAZMAT suits in the event of an emergencies.
"CBRN response is an important part of the job," Hollingsworth said. "We gather as much information regarding the incident as possible. We then suit up, respond to and minimize risks posed by extremely hazardous materials. This involves dealing with visual hazards and testing the air, water and anything else that could put the public at risk."
All the responsibilities can seem overwhelming to an outsider, but the Airmen say they still find their job rewarding.
“It feels good to keep the population safe and secure,” Vantilburg said. “We get to interact with a lot of different people and I love that.”