About the Position: This position is located at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Cavazos, Killeen, TX.

Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located in the beautiful 'hill and lake' country of Central Texas between Killeen and Copperas Cove and is approximately 60 miles north of the capital city of Austin, 50 miles south of Waco, 160 miles south of Dallas, and 150 miles north of San Antonio. The post is named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. Formerly named Fort Hood for Confederate General John Bell Hood, the post is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about 60 mi from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarters of III Armored Corps and First Army Division West and is home to the 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Cavalry Regiment, among others.

Its origin was the need for wide-open space to test and train with World War II tank destroyers. The War Department announced the location in January 1942, and the initial completion was set for that August. As originally constructed, Fort Cavazos had an area of 158,706 acres, with billeting for 6,007 officers and 82,610 enlisted personnel.

Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions. For more information, please visit the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/ 

This is a Direct Hire Solicitation

As a Health Technician (Surgical) GS-0640-06 you will:

• Serve as a paraprofessional member of the surgical team in the performance of scrub and/or circulating.
• Operating Room duties with primary emphasis in one or more surgical specialties.
• Performs surgical technician duties in support of the Operating Room Service by providing support for surgical procedures ranging from routine to more complex.
• Position rotates all shifts.
• Transports patients from units to the Operating Room assuring safe transportation of the patient.
• Selects, assembles, and organizes required supplies, equipment, and instruments for specific surgical procedure in accordance with operative work sheets, physician preference cards and/or conferring with physicians or charge nurse.
• Hands instruments to the surgeon during the procedure by anticipating the surgeon's needs.
• Maintains alertness for complications developing during surgery such as hemorrhage, shock and cardiac arrest and immediately supplies instruments, drugs, and supplies to correct the condition.
• Takes sponge, instrument, and sharp counts, measures blood and fluid loss. Assists with application of dressings.
• Surgical assistant actively engages in the manipulation of tissue with the proper instruments both intuitively by previous experience and by direction of the surgeon to facilitate and make possible the successful completion of the given procedure.
• Cleans operating room after surgery, removes and disposes of soiled and/or contaminated materials; changes linen; washes, disassembles, sterilizes, and reassembles instruments.
• Replenishes sterile packs and general supplies and restocks shelves after taking stock level inventory. Ensure proper computer entry of patient data and equipment settings.
• Monitor and ensure sufficient stock levels of medical supplies and properly maintain medical equipment.
• Assists in sterile processing department; selects appropriate methods for sterilizing, balancing time constraints with possible detrimental effects of quicker methods. Tests operation of equipment etc.