Athletic Trainers in the Armed Forces

Athletic trainers provide preventative, emergency, and rehabilitative health care services in the armed forces at military installations all over the world.

Athletic trainers for the armed forces: A growing employment opportunity

Over the course of the last several years, certified athletic trainers have been increasingly employed by the various armed forces to assist in the health and welfare of both active duty soldiers and their dependents.  Although each particular branch has its own specific employment policies, most ATs being hired today are either independent contractors or part of the Government Civil Service system.

Some of their roles and responsibilities include the following:

• Collect and analyze injury data for a given military training activity/cycle.  Brief the chain of command and medical assets regarding recommendations for decreasing/minimizing injuries and risks. Suggest alternate training scenarios, while maximizing existing training methods.
• Plan, organize, and implement an Injury Prevention Program to reduce injuries to soldiers undergoing basic training. 
• Set up and organize a temporary field medical facility/site where acute training injuries can be evaluated and triaged. 
• Provide justification and rationale for retention and/or additional athletic trainer assets within a specific military setting.
• Conduct periodic classroom presentations and provide educational materials/media to new service members.