Sergeant takes jitters out of pest encounters

  • Published
  • By Jasmine DeNamur
  • 919th SOW Public Affairs
DUKE FIELD, Fla. --  The Air Force Reserve has its share of interesting occupations. Though the majority of personnel work from a desk, are flying aircraft or getting dirty turning wrenches, one reservist here deals with everything that would make the toughest Airman squirm.

While everyone else is standing on chairs, Staff Sgt. Jennifer Steinruck is the one on the ground trapping everything from mice to poisonous snakes. The 919th Civil Engineer Squadron environmental control helper, or better known as, entomologist, spends her work day studying, trapping and sometimes exterminating insects and reptiles.

What most Airmen do not take into consideration is the wildlife they may encounter at work, home or outside, said Sergeant Steinruck.

"Especially around the summer time, reptiles, insects and other critters are on the move to find mates, protect their young, and gather food for the winter. Needless to say, I'm on call a lot," she said.

Aside from her duties at the wing, Sergeant Steinruck applies her knowledge of creepy crawlies during the week to helping the 796th Civil Engineer Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base.

Sergeant Steinruck has done an excellent job supporting the active duty, said Chief Master Sgt. Deborah Adkins, 919th CES operations and resources chief.

Especially for a first-term Airman, she has gone above and beyond performing pest management duties in support of more than 800 facilities there, she said.

In addition to helping out her active-duty counterparts, she also teaches classes on insects and reptiles to children at the Child Care Center at Eglin AFB.

"She is one of our most conscientious and professional NCOs," said Master Sgt. Julie Palmer, 919th CES first sergeant. "She attended a Silver Flag Exercise at Tyndall Air Force Base last month and was selected as the top student out of 197 students."

The exercise is composed of combat support training given to active duty and Guard and Reserve personnel from several military branches all over the world, teaching how to build bare-base operations and maintain them at deployed locations. The exercise trains more than 5,000 people each year.

"This is an outstanding accomplishment and we are proud of her," said Sergeant Palmer.

Aside from her military career, she is working with the Jackson Guard on Eglin AFB to develop an association with the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge to assist and ensure that abandoned and orphaned animals receive the appropriate care in a timely fashion.

"We all share the same planet," said Sergeant Steinruck. "We should be vigilant not only in our personal safety, but in the safety of all those who share our world."

Though her job would not be classified as a glamorous trade, Sergeant Steinruck recognizes that the importance of her work spans beyond her stigma as an exterminator.

"Though part of my profession deals with pest control, another part of it includes educating people about 'pests' and the dangers of handling or just getting rid of them," she said.

"It's always safe to be mindful of critters around us. We should be on the lookout to avoid these critters, not only because of the hazards they may pose, but to help protect the ecosystem in which they live in, consequently protecting ours as well."