GRADUATE PROFILE
Navigating the Waters: Homeland Security & Healthcare A DYNAMIC MILITARY CAREER AND A MASTER’S DEGREE HELP ROBERT FIELD JR. OVERSEE THE SAFETY OF A MAJOR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY. Robert W. Field Jr., MSM ’20, BS ’12 During his 20-year service in the United States Coast Guard, Robert Field Jr., never thought his civilian career would lead him to healthcare. He learned in both worlds, however, that no man is an island. “When I left military service with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), I never imagined it would be for a civilian career in a hospital environment,” explained Field, who is assistant vice president, Support Services, Safety, and Security at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton. “I had no medical training, practical experience or healthcare administrative knowledge.” Field, who began his USCG career as a boatswain’s mate, retired in December 2005 at the rank of chief petty officer. “My job duties were various and exciting throughout my military career,” said the Palmyra, N.J., resident. “My last assignment was as a criminal investigator with the Coast Guard Investigative Service, assigned as a supervisor to the New York/New Jersey Field Intelligence Support Team.”
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Along the way, Field served in protective service operations for high-profile dignitaries such as the president and vice president of the United States,
the secretary of Homeland Security and foreign emissaries. As the Coast Guard National Strike Force response supervisor, he assisted federal, state and local agencies with incident command system management that included the monitoring and cleanup of hazardous materials releases, oil spills and weapon of mass destruction incidents.
Center on 9/11. However, Field is most proud of the roles he has played in helping to save lives during the USCG’s numerous maritime search and rescue missions – from the coast of Maine to the Caribbean islands. “My military duties were diverse and varied, and I had to quickly learn the roles as I assumed new responsibilities,” noted the 2020 Master of Science in Management (MSM) degree in Public Health/Public Policy program graduate. “This process allowed me to grow in my healthcare career. I take ownership, and I am willing to accept difficult challenges.
“I FOUND THE EASE AND COMFORT OF PURSUING THESE DEGREES AT MY OWN PACE ALLOWED ME TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE LEARNING PROCESS, AND I BECAME MORE AND MORE INTERESTED IN LEARNING AS A DESIRE INSTEAD OF A TASK OR NECESSITY.”
Additionally, he was directly involved with space shuttle Columbia recovery operations, and he coordinated and managed rescue boats and boat crew operations in New York harbor following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade
Robert W. Field Jr.
I have also learned through my military service that no one can do it alone.” In his current role on RWJUH Hamilton’s 67-acre campus, Field is responsible for the acute care hospital’s nonclinical departments, which
