Military laboratory professionals support the healthcare of service members and their families, operating in demanding environments that require adaptability, precision, and leadership. Professional organizations like ASCP provide a space where laboratory professionals can continue to grow through mentorship, leadership opportunities, and shared expertise.
Many military programs prepare graduates for the ASCP Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) certification. However, certification alone does not always lead to lasting engagement with the broader professional community.
As a military veteran and laboratory professional, I have seen firsthand the value that veterans bring to civilian laboratory medicine. The technical skills, discipline, and teamwork from military service transfer naturally into high-quality laboratory practice. Veterans bring more than technical skills. They bring a culture of accountability, teamwork, and mission focus that strengthens every laboratory they join.
This is where the ASCP Council of Laboratory Professionals (CLP) can make a meaningful difference.
Through our “Bridge and Broaden” initiative, the CLP is clarifying and promoting ways for military and veteran laboratory professionals to stay engaged and grow as leaders within ASCP. The main goal is to foster long-term career pathways and involvement for these professionals, benefiting both individuals and the entire laboratory community.
Military laboratory professionals’ training emphasizes teamwork, readiness, and decision-making under pressure. These skills directly benefit civilian laboratory medicine. Many veterans continue careers in VA hospitals, academic centers, and community labs.
Transitioning to civilian professional networks can be challenging. Newly separated veterans may have their certification but remain unaware of opportunities for deeper engagement with organizations such as ASCP, including leadership pathways through councils, committees, and educational initiatives.
The CLP aims to understand these gaps by mapping connections between military training, certification, and long-term engagement. The team also aims to identify perspectives from active-duty personnel nearing separation, early-career veterans, and military spouses who face unique career challenges.
Through this work, the CLP hopes to raise the profile of military laboratory professionals within ASCP and highlight their many contributions to the field.
Future initiatives may include spotlighting military and veteran professionals, sharing transition stories, and creating educational opportunities that highlight career pathways beyond certification. These efforts both recognize military-trained professionals and strengthen the broader workforce.
At a time when the laboratory workforce faces growing demand, the experience and leadership of military-trained professionals represent an important and often under-recognized resource.
Military service is defined by commitment. By helping military laboratory professionals stay engaged with ASCP, we ensure this spirit continues to advance the field.
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