Category: Defence Intelligence

Source: United States Navy (Medical)

On a clear August day, 61 years ago at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, a man spoke four simple words, calling the nation to action. The man was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his idea of a dream continues to reverberate throughout the world today, impacting millions of people. 

“When I think of Martin Luther King, I think of the fight for equality and treating everyone with love and respect,” began Lt. j.g. Mary Anderson, a logistics specialist assigned to Naval Medical Forces Atlantic (NMFL). ”This allows me to have compassion for everyone regardless of their gender, race, or creed. It is seeing each person for who they are on the inside and not the outside.”

King was a minister and civil rights activist who advocated to end segregation through nonviolent protests, to include the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He also led the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” in 1963 and was instrumental in the passage of legislation that strengthened voting rights and banned discrimination on people of color. In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his dynamic leadership of the Civil Rights Movement and commitment to achieving racial justice through peaceful action. Shortly after his death in 1968, cities, and states across the country honored King on his birthday, Jan. 15.

“I think any time that we are taking a day to think about others, how they’re treated, what we’re doing; I think that will encourage more of that behavior,” expressed Chief Religious Programs Specialist Angel Tulp, the regional pastoral care services senior enlisted leader assigned to NMFL. “What we practice becomes what we are.” 

In 1983, a bill was signed into law to honor King and his contributions annually on the third Monday in January through a federal holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day. The continuing Department of Defense theme for the observance is “Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On … Not A Day Off” in commemoration of King and in support of a national day of public service engagement. This year marks the 30th anniversary of this national day of service. 

“My personal commitment to MLK’s ideals is to provide service to all those that are in need,” stated Angela Hinton, a financial management analyst with NMFL. “It doesn’t matter what they do or don’t have. If they are in need, service is what we do. Service is who we should be and what we should strive to live for.” 

The Department of the Navy (DON) is committed to honoring King’s legacy and removing workplace barriers impeding the recruitment and retention of a more diverse workforce. Furthermore, the DON is unwavering in its promise to foster an inclusive environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

“I look at our most prolific leaders in history, many of them were never in an elected position to make change from that platform,” reflected NMFL Command Master Chief Zachary Pryor. “They were grassroots leaders, who led from the deck plate to make the changes happen. That is what is so inspiring to me about Mr. King, he did it all without political office, just being a force of nature!”

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, 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.

Source: United States Navy (Medical)

SAN DIEGO – Lt. Cmdr. Brendan Good, a native of Talent, Ore., and member of the staff at Naval Medical Forces Pacific (NMFP) was recently recognized by the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery as the Health Facility Planning and Project Officer (HFPPO) of the year for 2023.

Good, who is a Medical Service Corps Officer, serves as the Senior Navy HFPPO for the Indo-Pacific region and is responsible for studies, plans, construction, and the outfitting of military treatment facilities situated along the West Coast and in Hawaii, Guam, and Japan.

“Lt. Cmdr. Good is an exceptional officer whose expertise and leadership has had a tremendous impact across the region,” said NMFP Commander Rear Adm. Guido Valdes. “His work across the Indo-Pacific region directly supports our mission by ensuring we have outstanding facilities in which to care for our active-duty personnel, retirees, and their family members. And the work he has done in support of our medical research labs will ensure that we have the most advanced medical capabilities to keep our warfighters healthy and in the fight. I congratulate him on this well-deserved achievement.”

Among Good’s most significant achievements that earned him this accolade are:
– Directed two major 100 million dollar projects for the Defense Health Agency—the construction of new clinics at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
– Supported the U.S. military’s combatant commands throughout the Indo-Pacific region, by conducting facility assessments, including one in Timor Leste for the design of austere treatment facilities in Papua New Guinea, as part of the U.S. military’s ongoing humanitarian aid mission.
– Championed construction improvement projects at eight medical research laboratories on five continents, often in remote and resource-constrained environments.

Gaining this diverse experience in a variety of health care settings, on land and at sea, has been an important goal for Good.

“Being a well-rounded officer is important to me,” he said. “That is why I sought out responsibilities supporting the combatant commands, the numbered fleet, and various other operational forces in our area of responsibility, in addition to brick-and-mortar medical treatment facilities.”

Being a leader in his community is a hallmark of Good’s achievements. In addition to his primary job, he also serves as a mentor and advisor to other members of the HFPPO professional community and contributed to a 100% promotion rate for lieutenants. Good also directs NMFP’s diversity, equity, and inclusion program for the region, guiding and advising officers at 21 regional commands.

If all that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, Good, a graduate of the University of Oregon and Portland State University, found time to return to school after 10 years and recently earn his second master’s degree. Reflecting his current interests, his new degree is in International Studies from the University of California San Diego with a focus in Asian-Pacific and Latin Security studies.

“Seeing the world from a more mature perspective was helpful, as was real-life experience operation in the Indo-Pacific,” Good said. “East Asia remains a vital segment of U.S. foreign policy and investing the time to formalize study of the region seemed both timely and relevant.”

When asked if he’s going to further his education and pursue a doctorate degree, Good said, “never say never.”

Naval Medical Forces Pacific (NMFP) provides oversight for 11 Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Commands (NMRTC), on the West Coast and Pacific Rim that train, man, and equip medical forces, primarily in military treatment facilities. Globally, NMFP oversees eight research laboratories that deliver research expertise in support of warfighter health and readiness.

Source: United States Navy (Medical)

Reserve Component Naval Medical Forces Atlantic (RC NMFL) held a 4-day annual leadership sync for 20 commands within the region that focused on Navy Medicine and Navy Reserve priorities on board Naval Support Activity (NSA) Hampton Roads-Portsmouth Annex, Jan. 18-21.

Nearly 50 Navy Reserve Component commanding officers, executive officers and senior enlisted leaders were brought together to discuss higher-level operational overview, strategic alignment, and mission expectations.

“The leadership sync is significant because the teams had the opportunity for one-on-one mentoring,” explained Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Oakes, the reserve program manager at NMFL. “Our goal was to get the leadership here and working together as a team from the start.”

The event included question-and-answer sessions, open dialogue on best practices, mentorship, challenges, and resiliency. Leadership highlighted the importance of reserve support for expeditionary medicine platforms, priorities of current readiness, and future operations requirements.

“We have the opportunity to lead the next generation’s ready medical force, offering opportunities never before seen for professional development,” said Master Chief Hospital Corpsman Jeff Tabor, the RC NMFL senior enlisted advisor. “We are here to support them while being their conduit for operational and augment readiness responsibilities.”

Leaders were empowered to integrate the gained knowledge and resources at their own commands throughout the region, and the importance of ensuring Sailors under their responsibility receive the training they need to perform their duties.

“The main takeaway is to always be ready,” concluded Rear Adm. Eric Peterson, the deputy commander of RC NMFL and director, Navy Reserve Nurse Corps. “Readiness is the bottom line that we bring to the Sailors every day.”

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, 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.