On Nov. 7, Navy Medical Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Twentynine Palms unveiled its "Rates That Rule" board, a creative display honoring the contributions of enlisted rates beyond the Hospital Corpsman (HM) community.
The initiative was conceptualized by Lt. Angela Swint and brought to life by Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Brian Johnson, who built the board. Together, they aimed to shed light on the often-overlooked impact of the eight non-Corpsman Navy rates serving at the hospital.
"It is a bulletin of information that shows what the other enlisted rates besides Hospital Corpsman do in the military and here at our hospital," said Swint. "The Rates That Rule board highlights the history and pride of heritage and what their impact is to our Navy."
Swint explained that the idea came from her desire to ensure these Sailors' contributions received recognition.
"The amazing history and contribution to our mission that these Sailors embody often gets overlooked due to the focus we tend to have on the patient care that happens here," she said. "The Rates That Rule board came about because I wanted to ensure that these Sailors are being recognized for their achievements."
Johnson echoed the sentiment and emphasized his motivation to showcase the diverse roles within the command.
"This command is a hospital, and we have eight rates here that don’t often get recognized all the time because Corpsman are the forefront of the hospital," said Johnson. "So I wanted to make sure — especially since I moved from working with just Corpsman to three other rates — that they got the recognition they deserved."
The board features information on Culinary Specialist (CS), Yeoman (YN), Personnel Specialist (PS), Master-at-Arms (MA), Religious Program Specialist (RP), Information Systems Technician (IT), Electronics Technician (ET), and Logistics Specialist (LS).
Swint encouraged Sailors to learn more about the contributions of other rates.
"My advice would be to explore your command and see what things you can find," she said. "Who works where? How does this get done? Asking interesting questions can often give you knowledge you never would have found."
The Rates That Rule board now stands as a testament to the diverse skills and heritage of the sailors at NMRTC Twentynine Palms, promoting pride and understanding across the command.