The 30-member team conducted Role 2 enhanced (2E) shore-based capabilities at Erbil Air Base in Iraq, where they provided life, limb, and eyesight saving care to the U.S. Armed Forces, DoD civilian contractors, and multi-national coalition forces. They also provided critical support to the Role I and Role II facilities in the Eastern Syria Security Area (ESSA).
Naval Medical Forces Atlantic (NMFL), Deputy Commander Capt. Shelley K. Perkins, praised the team for a job well done.
“Welcome home! You all should be so proud of what you accomplished throughout this deployment.” expressed Perkins. “You were reinforcing Navy Medicine’s expeditionary mission throughout this entire process, and you were the sustaining medical force capable of supporting joint and naval forces.”
Some of NEMU 10G-13’s highlights from deployment included support of 1000 patient encounters, 12 surgeries, 80 medical and strategic evacuations, 50 patient movements to host nation hospitals, 26 mass casualty exercises, and 250 simulated patients. The unit delivered 224 hours of continuing medical education to medics, corpsman, nurses and physicians onboard EAB.
“Teamwork was the cornerstone of this deployment,” said NEMU 10G Commander Capt. Jerrol B. Wallace. “We brought this them together through arguably the toughest time of the year. We missed 90% of the major holidays, but through that we became family. This team built a bond that will last for years to come.”
Throughout the deployment, the NEMU 10G-13 tracked all COVID-19 cases and administered 2,000 influenza and 50 COVID vaccines. To fill a critical shortfall in blood product available in the country, the team ensured adequate numbers of screened donors for the walking blood bank were available within EAB, which resulted in 200 servicemembers being ready to donate if warranted by the situation.
“What you accomplished over the past seven months was providing sustained naval medicine worldwide and being on the ready to give aid when called upon,” explained EMF-J Executive Officer Capt. Kenneth R. Basford. “Situations you encountered will be used to better the process in this ever-changing world.”
The team utilized medical partnerships with the host nation and allied forces, such as the EAB German surgical team, Netherlands dental team, and the Italian Role I to expand their medical care capabilities to support the warfighter by providing lifesaving medical interventions, diagnostic testing, radiologic services and cost savings for medical evacuations.
EMU 10 Rotation 14 relieved Rotation 13 on April 20 to continue the forward deployed medical readiness mission in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
Six months prior to deployment, NMFL starts the work-up and certification phase prior to the mission. During this period, NMFL screened and selected personnel to fill vital manning positions, ensured medical screenings and pipeline training for specific billets, and equipping the unit with protective gear was completed. Once the manning phase was completed the unit was sent to Fort Bliss, Texas, to complete a 14-day combat skills course.
“The course was vital in creating unit cohesion, familiarity with weapons and austere environment expectations for deployment,” said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Mary Sigler, an action officer for planning, operations and medical intelligence department at NMFL.
Additionally, throughout the deployments, NMFL provides logistics and administrative support to the deployed unit. Information provided throughout the deployment ensures personnel are trained and qualified for the available equipment in the region.
Operation Inherent Resolve continues to work by, with and through regional partners to militarily defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, in order to enable whole-of-coalition governmental actions to increase regional stability.
NMFL, headquartered in Portsmouth, Virginia, delivers operationally focused medical expertise and capabilities to meet Fleet, Marine and Joint Force requirements by providing equipment, sustainment and maintenance of medical forces during combat operations and public health crises. NMFL provides oversight for 21 NMRTCs, logistics, and public health and dental services throughout the U.S. East Coast, U.S. Gulf Coast, Cuba, Hawaii, Europe, and the Middle East.
Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.