LANDSTUHL, Germany – Army civilians support the nation, the Army and its Soldiers in times of war and peace by improving the readiness of the force. Former Staff Sgt. Bryan King left his twelve-year active duty career to rejoin the U.S. Army as a civilian in 2018. This year he celebrates his fifteenth year of government service.
A Dallas native, King joined the U.S. Army in 2000 as a biomedical equipment specialist.
“I always thought about being in the military and serving my country,” says King. “It’s an admirable career.”
While on active duty, he had the opportunity to participate in significant milestones for the U.S. military in Germany.
“I started out in Heidelberg. Then my second assignment was with the medical maintenance for the U.S. Army Medical Department Activity - Bavaria, where we helped close down some of the major bases in Germany,” says King. “It was a unique experience to perform the final retreat if the flag at the Würzburg Hospital.”
During his tour in Germany, he also met his wife with whom he has three children.
Once his service in the Army came to an end, King searched for a civilian job that would offer him the flexibility he needed to provide a stable environment for his family.
“I enjoyed my time as a Soldier but when I started a family, I wanted to decide where I want to live,” says King.
Thanks to the marketable skills he earned in the military, he was able to get a good job on the civilian side.
“I am really happy with the training I received while I was in the Army,”
he explained. "It’s tailored to my likes and fit my needs.”
After he left active duty, King worked as a field service engineer in the private sector, but he was drawn back to the Government Service after a few years.
“Joining the government service as a civilian seemed like a great fit for my skills and experience,”
says King.
According to King it can be challenging to transition from the military to the civilian world, as you leave a certain comfort zone and share far less of previous experiences with coworkers, than in the military among your battle buddies.
“Transitioning back to Germany requires a lot of support, so coming back on as a civilian was a great opportunity for me,” King said. “I was very familiar with the organization and support structure.”
Currently, King is the healthcare technology manager for Public Health Command Europe.
“We manage equipment from the cradle to the crate,” says King. “Here at Public Health Command Europe we directly support the warfighter. We acquire, maintain and dispose all of the equipment that is needed to fulfill the mission for our personnel across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.”
Being able to help facilitate the success of the mission and finding solutions to arising challenges creates a great sense of accomplishment and job satisfaction for King.
Healthcare technology management comprises the domains of planning, needs assessment, selection, procurement, donations, inventory, installation and maintenance of medical equipment, training for safe use and finally decommissioning.
Public Health Command Europe provides integrated, comprehensive, and global veterinary and preventive medicine support, that includes: occupational and environmental medicine, laboratory services, veterinary services, health promotion and wellness, environmental health and engineering, occupational health services, and epidemiology and disease surveillance. The range of support routinely spans throughout 40 countries in a given year.
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