Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Six and Singapore Armed Forces Biodefense Team conduct Expeditionary Public Health Subject Matter Exchange during RIMPAC 2024

16 July 2024

From Courtesy Story

U.S. Navy Preventive Medicine professionals assigned to Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Six (NEPMU-6) hosted a Singapore Armed Forces Expeditionary Public Health Team (SAF) to exchange knowledge about U.S. Navy Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Unit’s (FDPMU) and their employment in operational settings, from July 9th-10th, 2024, on Ford Island, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

LCDR Sarah Bogdanowicz, the Operations Officer for NEPMU-6 stated that the hopes for this partnership was to increase interoperability, strengthen relationships, build regional resiliency, and provide a forum to bring together subject matter experts within the region to discuss Expeditionary Platforms.

Capt. Scott Dunn, officer in charge of Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Six (NEPMU-6), presents a Letter of Appreciation to Lt. Col. (DR.) Goh Jit Khong, a service member with the Singapore Armed Forces Force Health Group following a knowledge exchange between the two units during RIMPAC 2024, July 10, 2024 on Ford Island, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The Force Health Group was seeking guidance on the U.S. Navy’s expeditionary medical platforms, specifically the Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Unit (FDPMU), in the hopes to establish a similar platform in their reserve component of the armed forces. (Navy photo by Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Marsha Rivera)

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Larry Dye, a preventive medicine technician assigned to Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Unit Six demonstrates the use of a hand-held device used to detect a chemical substance in the environment. to Singapore Armed Forces preventive medicine specialists during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), July 9, 2024, on Ford Island, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. This device is a portable gas chromatograph mass spectrometer that requires minimal training to deliver quick, easy, and accurate measurements of volatile organic compounds, toxic industrial chemicals, and chemical warfare agents in less than 10 minutes. RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime exercise, and provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2024 is the 29th exercise in the series that began in 1971. This year more than 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft and 25,000 personnel participated in RIMPAC which is located in and around the Hawaiian Islands. (Navy photo by Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jonathan Taan)

Following the world’s largest international maritime exercise known as Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Hospital Corpsman 1st Class John Taan, a preventive medicine technician assigned to Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Unit Six (FDPMU-6) gives a guided tour of the Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Six (NEPMU-6) Industrial Hygiene Laboratory to Senior Lt. Col. (DR.) James Kwek, chief navy medical officer, commander of Medical Flotilla and Maj. (DR.) Timothy Tan, commanding officer, Base Medical Squadron, Navy Medical Service, July 3, 2024, on Ford Island, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The two officers were visiting the unit following RIMPAC 2024 Medical Symposium in preparation for the Singapore Armed Forces Force Health Group engagement. (Navy photo by Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Marsha Rivera)

The visit, which coincided with the Rim of the Pacific 2024 (RIMPAC) exercise, was an additional effort to align with Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) allies to defeat the “Tyranny of Distance” and unite militaries across the RIMPAC medical community in a collaborative effort to conquer the challenge posed by remote maritime environments. Through knowledge exchange, innovation and shared expertise, the aim is to strengthen the healthcare capabilities of allied naval forces.

During the knowledge exchange, the SAF team was introduced to NEPMU-6’s microbiology, entomology, environmental and industrial hygiene laboratories and given real time exposure to an FDPMU in a simulated operational environment. Additionally, they attended a FDPMU virtual training overview to discuss component job qualification requirements and review the Operational Readiness Field Exercise with the Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command (NMCFHPC) Expeditionary Platform leadership.

As part of the knowledge exchange, the NEPMU-6 team received an in-depth brief from SAF preventive medicine specialists that introduced the SAF Force Health Group. The NEPMU-6 team then received an overview of the SAF Force Health Group Biodefence Centre and learned about the public health strategies of the Singapore Armed Forces.

This global health engagement is the beginning of a long-standing partnership between the Singapore Armed Forces, Force Health Group as Navy Medicine seeks innovative solutions to military medical care for the warfighter.

Story originally posted on DVIDS: Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Six and Singapore Armed Forces Biodefense Team conduct Expeditionary Public Health Subject Matter Exchange during RIMPAC 2024