a. Major duties.
The animal care specialist supervises or provides the care, management, treatment, and sanitary conditions for animals, with a primary responsibility of prevention and control of diseases transmitted from animal to man and comprehensive care for government owned animals.
Duties for MOS 68T at each level of skill are:
(1) MOSC 68T1O.
Provide routine daily care for animals in veterinary treatment or research and development facilities.
Obtain medical history from owners and/or handlers and measures and records animal vital signs.
Perform physical examinations to detect obvious abnormalities and reports findings to veterinarian.
Positions and restrains animals for examination and treatment.
Calculates doses and administers oral and topical medications as directed by the veterinarian.
Maintain sanitary conditions for all components of the veterinary treatment facilities to include operating room and equipment.
Assists veterinarian in surgical procedures and performs euthanasia when instructed by veterinarian.
Cleans, debrides, and sutures superficial wounds.
Collects, preserves, and prepares blood, urine, feces, skin scrapings, and post mortem specimens for shipment and evaluation.
Perform routine diagnostic laboratory tests such as fecal smears, urinalysis, blood counts, and chemistries.
Records laboratory test results in the Remote Online Veterinary Records (ROVR) System.
Takes and develops radiographs of designated animal body parts.
Initiates and maintains animal health records, immunization records, animal registration files, animal bite case reports, and other administrative office files within ROVR.
While deployed, order medical supplies on the Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support (DMLSS) Customer Assistance Module (DCAM) on the Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4) computers.
(2) MOSC 68T2O.
Perform duties shown at preceding skill level.
Provide technical guidance, management, and training to junior personnel.
Performs advanced emergency medical procedures on animals such as triage, tracheotomy, burn and poison management, venous cutdown, and insertion of stomach tubes.
Operate mechanical respirators, heart monitors, and gas sterilizer apparatus.
Supervises non-appropriated fund activities, day-to-day operations, supply management and patient administration procedures.
Prepares budgets, trains handlers in emergency care of animals, and assists on research protocol teams.
Maintain clinical and organizational equipment.
(3) MOSC 68T3O.
Performs duties of and supervises the functions of preceding skill levels.
Develops and establishes standard operating procedures for operations of veterinary treatment facilities.
Assists in scheduling, conducting, and evaluating training of veterinary service enlisted personnel.
Coordinate procurement of high dollar value equipment.
Reviews, consolidates, and prepares technical reports.
Perform as a liaison for the veterinary officer to interact with installation medical authorities, installation commanders, and civilian agencies.
(4) MOSC 68T4O.
Performs duties of and supervises the functions of preceding skill levels.
Schedules, monitors, and evaluates the unit training program and maintains unit/individual training records.
Assist the commander in preparing, monitoring, and evaluating the unit operations plan.
Compiles and evaluates management and personnel data.
Review operations of veterinary service to ensure compliance with laws and regulations regarding humane care and treatment of animals.
Monitors laboratory animal procurement procedures and serves on laboratory animal protocol boards.
Provide technical assistance in planning, staffing, and modifying existing animal facilities.
Supports a variety of administrative and program related ancillary duties associated with installation and Major Subordinate Command (MSC) operations.
b. Physical demands rating and qualifications for initial award of MOS.
Animal care specialists must possess the following qualifications:
(1) A physical demands rating of Moderate (Gold).
(2) A physical profile of 222221.
(3) Normal color vision.
(4) Per AR 600-8-19, promotion to MSG and SGM requires an interim secret eligibility or higher.
(5) Qualifying scores.
(a)
A minimum score of 95 in aptitude area ST in Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) tests administered prior to 2 January 2002.
(b)
A minimum score of 92 in aptitude area ST on ASVAB tests administered on and after 2 January 2002 and prior to 1 July 2004.
(c)
A minimum score of 91 in aptitude area ST on ASVAB tests administered on and after 1 July 2004.
(d)
A minimum OPAT score of Standing Long Jump (LJ) – 0120 cm, Seated Power Throw (PT) – 0350 cm, Strength Deadlift (SD) – 0120 lbs., and Interval Aerobic Run (IR) – 0036 shuttles in Physical Demand Category in “Moderate” (Gold).
(6) Must have a minimum credit of one year of biological sciences at high school or college level and credit for 1 year high school or one semester of college Algebra with a “C” grade or numerical grade of 74% or higher, in both subjects.
Official high school or college transcripts are required.
(7) High school diploma/GED.
(8) No history of a felony conviction.
(9) A security eligibility of SECRET is required for the initial award and to maintain the MOS.
(a)
Requirements for eligibility of SECRET clearance are effective 1 October 2015 for all new accessions and reclassifications into MOS 68T.
(b)
Requirement for an eligibility of SECRET clearance is effective 1 October 2015 for all Soldiers maintaining MOS 68T who entered service prior to 1 October 2014.
(10) No history of conviction of crimes involving:
(a)
Any weapons/ammunition/explosives/arson charges.
(b)
Any drug activity involving illegal possession, buying, selling or distribution (dealing) of controlled substances or synthetics.
(c)
Violence against persons, animals or property.
(d)
Sexual misconduct.
(11) No record of conviction by special or general courts-martial or civilian courts of offenses listed in AR 27-10 (Military Justice), chapter 24 or otherwise required to register as a sexual offender under AR 27-10, chapter 24.
(12) Formal training (completion of MOS 68T course conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE)).
(13) All prior MOS 68T Soldiers serving in another MOS reclassifying back into MOS 68T, will be reviewed for validation of skills, by the proponent, during the reclassification process.
c. Additional skill identifiers.
(Note: Refer to table 12-8 (Listing of universal ASI’s associated with all enlisted MOS)).
d. Physical requirements and standards of grade.
Physical requirements and SG relating to each skill level are listed in the following tables:
(1) Table 10-68T-1. Physical requirements.
(2) Table 10-68T-2. Standards of grade TOE/MTOE.
(3) Table 10-68T-3. Standards of grade TDA.