Dietitians
Background
Dietitians are part of the military's health care staff. They are experts in the nutritional needs of hospital patients and outpatients. Dietitians manage medical food service facilities and plan meals for hospital patients and outpatients who need special diets.
What They Do
Dietitians in the military perform some or all of the following duties:
- Develop hospital food service budgets
- Develop special diets for patients based on instructions from doctors
- Inspect hospital food service and preparation areas to be sure they meet sanitation and safety standards
- Interview patients to determine whether they are satisfied with their diet
- Plan and organize training programs for medical food service personnel
- Plan menus for hospital meals
- Provide information on nutrition to the military community
- Set policies for hospital food service operations
Physical Demands
No information available.
Special Requirements
A four-year college degree in food and nutrition or institutional management is required to enter this career. Some specialties require completion of a general dietetic internship.
Helpful Attributes
Helpful attributes include:
- Desire to help others
- Interest in interpreting scientific and medical data
- Interest in nutrition and food preparation
Helpful School Subjects
No information available.
Helpful Fields of Study
No information available.
Work Environment
Dietitians work in hospitals, clinics, and aboard ships.
Services offering this career:
- Air Force
- Army
- Coast Guard
- Navy
Hiring Practices
To serve in the military, a person must be at least 17; the maximum age for enlistment varies. To enlist, a person must pass a physical exam and an aptitude test. An enlistee must also meet military standards of discipline and be a US citizen or permanent resident alien.
This position is for officers.
Wages
The military is competitive with the civilian world when it comes to pay and benefits. All branches offer the same basic pay and benefits.
Pay depends mainly on rank or grade as well as length of service. Bonuses and the situation in which the person is serving (for example: flight duty, sea duty, hazardous duty) also affect pay.
Cost-of-living increases usually occur every year, based on inflation. The military also pays allowances for food, clothing, and housing. All these factors combined are called Regular Military Compensation (RMC). They should all be considered when comparing military pay to civilian pay.
There are two main parts to RMC: basic pay and allowances. There are also additional incentives for special abilities, training, or hazardous duty.
Check out the RMC Calculator to calculate your RMC based on your inputs.
Training Provided
No initial job training is provided to officers in this career. However, the Air Force and Army offer internship programs in dietetics that are approved by the American Dietetic Association.
Civilian Counterparts
Civilian dietitians work in hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities. They perform duties similar to those performed by military dietitians. Dietitians also work for college food services, restaurants, industrial food services, and research institutions. Civilian dietitians may specialize in specific areas of dietetics, such as consultation, clinical dietetics, and community health.
Related Civilian Careers
Employment and Outlook
In peace time the services have about 300 dietitians. In times of military action the number may be different, depending on the type of specialties required. Each year the services need new dietitians due to changes in personnel and the demands of the field. Newly commissioned dietitians are assigned to military hospitals, clinics, or ships, where they plan and direct the work of food service personnel. They may advance to senior management positions in hospital food service programs.