SMSgt Carlos Rios’ Competitive Edge Adds Value to the Exchange Team
One in a series highlighting service members assigned to the Exchange
Who he is: SMSgt Carlos Rios, Assistant Director, Public Health and Food Safety.
Years of experience: 24 years of service in the Air Force. Rios has been with the Exchange since January.
Why he joined the Air Force: Rios’ interest in aviation led him to the Air Force. Although his job path changed, he knew he had found a lifelong career.
“Growing up, I was very much into military aviation and had always wanted to work in something related to it.” Rios said. “So, I came in as an aircraft electrician and got the opportunity to work on C-130s and F-22s. Although I realized that aircraft maintenance was not my ultimate calling, I knew that the Air Force was the right career path for me, so I retrained into Public Health after six years.”
What he does in the Air Force: Rios is a Public Health technician, which, despite sounding rather specific, encompasses a variety of responsibilities.
“My job is somewhat eclectic,” Rios said. “I do preventive surveillance, education and intervention to ensure that the public is safe from health issues related to hazardous exposures in the workplace, public facility sanitation, food safety, communicable disease transmission and environmental conditions at home and overseas during deployment or leisure travel.”
His role at the Exchange: Rios works in the Services and Food Directorate, where his responsibilities are an exciting challenge for him.
“Here at the Exchange I am focused on food safety, public facility sanitation and communicable disease prevention,” Rios said. “Being part of a large organization and participating at such a strategic level is very exciting, after working in command leadership at the squadron level for the past 10 years. We are working on exciting programs like the expansion of health services and tattoo studios, evidence-driven variances to Tri-Service Food Code guidance, and public health emergency preparedness.”
Being part of the Exchange family: To Rios, the Exchange core value of family serving family is closely linked to the DoD’s mission of taking care of their resources.
“Directly taking care of the most important military asset: our human capital,” Rios said. “That’s what ‘family serving family’ means to me. You cannot accomplish the mission if you do not have a healthy force to operate weapons systems, leverage IT capabilities, or perform all the other functions. Being able to deliver necessary services and support to Warfighters and their families in a safe manner is what the Services and Food Directorate at the Exchange is all about.”
Even in his short time at the Exchange, Rios says he’s already experienced that core value in a personal way.
“So far it has been great being able to connect on a personal level with the members of my directorate and discuss the challenges of parenting, moving to a new area, and having the flexibility to be more present in the home front. It has been nothing but positive.”
