The inspector gadget of food: A1C Govan

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jenay Randolph
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Airman 1st Class Alexander Govan, 6th Aerospace Medicine Squadron public health technician, is one among 22 Airmen that MacDill Air Force Base, Florida has assigned the 6th AMDS public health unit, which specializes in food safety, sanitation and security for the base.

Public Health consists of occupational health, community health and public health assessment, but for these 22 Airmen, the main focus is to inspect all the food and public facilities here, on base, to ensure that they meet Air Force compliance.

"People can remember our job as an Inspector Gadget for food," explained Govan jokingly. 

Public health performs monthly inspections to confirm all base facilities are maintaining health and safety standards. As a result, they verify that all food on base is safe for consumption and assist in certifying Team MacDill's physical readiness.

According to Govan, their duties also include water sampling, radiation surveys, along with, interestingly enough, collecting mosquitoes to be frozen in the lab before separating the females and sending them to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio to be tested for diseases, such as malaria, by the head entomologist.

"The most rewarding part of the job is educating employees on proper food handling, storage, preparation and security measures for food," expressed Govan. "On the other hand, it also requires use of good judgment in certain circumstances, which can be a challenge, because of the effects it has on the overall safety rating."

Govan and his team have the important responsibility of accurately reporting and documenting any safety violations that they encounter during their inspections, which in turn, affects the base safety rating.  In this instance, making good, sound decisions is very important for these Airmen.

However, for Govan, the job gives gratification from knowing that he is a part of a team that is able to affect the lives of Airmen in a positive way every day and as a result, ensure that Airmen stay healthy. 

Overall, Govan continues to strive for excellence and assists in ensuring the safety and readiness of Team MacDill, which is important to successfully achieving the base mission.