Source: United States Navy (Medical)
Lt. Jillian Dunbar, a Navy environmental health officer from Elmhurst, Illinois, recently participated in a humanitarian mission along the Amazon River that represented both a professional milestone and a personal journey.
Assigned to the Brazil Medical Riverine Humanitarian Mission in August 2024, Dunbar joined a team of U.S. and Brazilian medical professionals aboard the Navio de Assistência Hospitalar Doutor Montenegro (U16) to provide medical care to isolated indigenous communities while exchanging critical expertise.
“This was my first time traveling outside the U.S. with the Navy,” Dunbar said. “The entire mission was impactful. It was an inspiring experience, specifically providing me with a hands-on opportunity to practice and refine my skills as an environmental health officer, but also learn new skills like diagnosing and treating tropical diseases and having cross-cultural communication with both the Marinha do Brasil and the indigenous communities.”
Dunbar arrived at Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Twentynine Palms in November 2022. Driven by a desire to serve her country and make a meaningful impact in public and environmental health, she has always strived to pursue opportunities that aligned with her passion for global health.
“There were a lot of factors that went into my decision to join the Navy,” Dunbar said. “Primarily, I wanted to serve my country and knew I could make an impact in public and environmental health. I have an interest in infectious diseases, so combatting outbreaks in military settings and ensuring troops are staying healthy is incredibly important to me. The Navy also allows me opportunities to participate in global health engagements where I can learn about different diseases and healthcare resources.”
Her fluency in Portuguese and completion of the Military Tropical Medicine Course earlier this year — a prerequisite for field deployments — made her uniquely qualified to join the mission, which brought U.S. and Brazilian personnel together to address public health and medical challenges along the Amazon.
“I do speak Portuguese, so while there are other locations for these missions, Brazil was a good fit for me,” Dunbar said. “I was invited on the mission to receive firsthand and clinical experience with diagnosing and treating tropical diseases.”
The five-week mission, sponsored by U.S. Southern Command as part of a health security cooperation initiative, began in early August, brought together U.S. Navy doctors, microbiologists and environmental health experts with their Brazilian counterparts to address public health challenges and provide medical care along the Amazon River. Commencing in Manaus, Brazil, the team traveled aboard the Navio de Assistência Hospitalar Doutor Montenegro (U16), delivering care to remote communities, diagnosing tropical diseases and collaborating on methods to improve public health outcomes in resource-limited settings.
The mission included stops at Aldeia Indígena Palmares, where Dunbar and her colleagues worked with Brazilian medical personnel to address urgent health needs, as well as Comunidade Indígena Feijoal and Umariaçu, where they facilitated medical knowledge exchanges, conducted health education sessions and treated patients. Each visit offered unique opportunities to enhance the teams’ understanding of tropical medicine while making a meaningful impact in underserved areas. Stops throughout the mission reinforced the critical importance of cultural sensitivity and teamwork in global health missions.
For Dunbar, the mission was defined by its human connections and the opportunity to explore another culture.
“The people were the highlight of this mission,” she said. “Whether it was meeting new officers from the U.S. Navy and forming bonds with them, collaborating with the sailors from the Marinha do Brasil and learning about our cultural differences, or conversing with the indigenous peoples while delivering healthcare, those connections made a huge impact. And the food was delicious.”
The Brazil mission was a capstone for Dunbar’s growing expertise in environmental health and infectious disease prevention. It provided her with the opportunity to apply her training in real-world scenarios and broaden her understanding of tropical medicine.
“This broader perspective is eye-opening and enriching and can refresh one’s sense of purpose that comes from helping others,” Dunbar said.
Reflecting on her experience, Dunbar urged other sailors to seek out unique assignments like her Brazil mission.
“I would highly encourage other sailors to accept unique opportunities like this mission,” she said. “Humanitarian missions are great for experiencing different cultures, environments and having this exchange of knowledge with various partners.”
Dunbar’s involvement in the Brazil mission underscores the Navy’s commitment to not only serving its operational needs but also advancing global health partnerships and addressing challenges faced by underserved populations worldwide.
As she returns to her duties at NMRTC Twentynine Palms, Dunbar carries with her the lessons, memories and connections forged during her time on the Amazon, ready to apply them in service of the Navy’s mission.