Environmental health officers in the Commissioned Corps have the flexibility and freedom to pursue a diverse and fulfilling career. Day-to-day responsibilities of environmental health officers include, but are not restricted to:

• Providing leadership and support to public health programs designed to protect the public from exposure to hazardous substances
• Providing services in disease prevention, environmental health, injury prevention, health promotion and education, and occupational safety
• Undertaking highly specialized services in areas such as counterterrorism, industrial hygiene, health physics, and hazardous waste
• Conducting a wide variety of activities, including surveys, investigations, research, teaching and training, consumer education, technical assistance, regulatory compliance, and codes and standards development
• Reviewing and regulating medical products and devices
• Conducting biomedical and epidemiological research
• Developing and monitoring national health policies

In addition, environmental health officers may have the opportunity to assist in public health responses to man-made and natural disasters and participate in rural health missions helping some of the neediest populations in the Nation.

As an environmental health officer in the Commissioned Corps, you can work throughout the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and in other Federal agencies and programs. Below is a list of potential Federal agencies and programs where environmental health officers have the greatest likelihood of finding an assignment – the order is based on the number of officers presently assigned. See duty station map for more details.

• Indian Health Service (IHS)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Department of Interior (DOI) National Park Service (NPS)