The group deployed in assist of U.S. Army’s Activity Drive Dragon, shortly following the outbreak of armed battle in Ukraine. Whereas parts of Navy FDPMUs steadily deploy in assist of humanitarian operations, illness outbreaks, and power well being safety efforts, this was the primary deployment of a full FDPMU group in assist of theater fight readiness in over a decade. FDPMUs are chargeable for guaranteeing occupational and the environmental security of all operational personnel together with water testing, poisonous industrial chemical publicity surveillance, and illness surveillance.
The 13-member group was led by Cmdr. Michael Prudhomme, Preventive Medication Doctor, and was geared up with chemical and organic detection tools able to figuring out a variety of naturally-occurring and artifical well being threats that may degrade power well being and mission readiness.
“Being deployed to Poland was a fantastic expertise,” mentioned Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Danielle Cuello, Preventive Medication Technician on FDPMU-1. “I loved working alongside our US Army counterparts. It was an incredible expertise to coach with the Army Chemical, Organic, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) and Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) groups in a joint train.”
Upon arrival in Poland, FDPMU-1 performed Occupational Environmental Well being Website Assessments (OEHSA) on 5 ahead working bases all through Poland. Every OEHSA included the evaluation of chemical, organic, radiological, and vector-borne illness threats, offering Joint Activity Drive management with detailed evaluation, and mitigation suggestions, concerning potential well being dangers on every base. Throughout the OEHSAs, FDPMU-1 group members performed sampling to make sure short-term water security and to evaluate long-term drinkability. The group additionally performed environmental air testing to evaluate for high-risk poisonous industrial chemical threats to Joint Activity Drive personnel.
Along with the OEHSAs, FDPMU-1 executed a 48-hour CBRNE train with U.S. Army personnel, participated in a Polish Structure Day celebration, and partnered with a U.S. Army veterinarian group to execute a joint expertise trade with NATO accomplice Poland’s Preventive Medication Heart (Wojskowy Ośrodek Medycyny Prewencyjnej; WOMP), Krakow. Throughout the expertise trade, FDPMU-1 met with WOMP workers and toured their laboratory in Krakow. “It was an honor assembly the WOMP group, seeing their facility and getting a glimpse into their full capabilities. I sit up for teaming up with the Polish CBRNE unit of WOMP for future joint workouts,” mentioned Lt. Peter Mercredi, FDPMU-1 Biochemist.
Throughout the assembly, the groups mentioned one another’s technical capabilities, tools, evaluation and testing processes, and common approaches to offering preventive drugs companies to their forces. It’s hoped that this seminal assembly can function a jump-start to future joint operations and coaching workouts. “I thank the U.S. Navy preventive drugs group for coming to go to our facility and sharing how they carry out Occupational Environmental Well being Website Assessments (OEHSAs),” mentioned Col. Konrad Tkaczewski, heart specialist and WOMP Commandant. “The data all of us acquire is important for safeguarding all troops. Collaborating in joint base surveillance operations could be basic to pioneer worldwide preventive drugs testing requirements.”
Along with constructing nice relationships with NATO companions, the group efficiently collected over 500 hours of air samples, carried out greater than 10 water potability checks, carried out pest management analysis of 300 sleeping tents, evaluated pest and environmental administration contracts, and performed epidemiological surveillance of communicable ailments by monitoring over 800 medical encounters. Their contributions had been acknowledged by the Activity Drive Commander who awarded the group the Army Commendation medal.
“The short-fused deployment of FDPMU-1 was a major occasion, in response to a real-world and real-time enemy fight menace to NATO’s jap flank,” mentioned Cmdr. John Owings, Officer-In-Cost, NEPMU-2. “Navy Medication put a highly-capable and cell preventive drugs group in Japanese Europe. This group was on-scene and able to ship theater-level power well being safety evaluation and steerage to the joint power. They delivered excellent companies to Activity Drive Dragon, and went an extended approach to enhancing our army medical relationship with a important NATO accomplice. I can’t be extra pleased with this group!”
NEPMU-2 is a area exercise of the Navy and Marine Corps Public Well being Heart (NMCPHC), Portsmouth, Va. NMCPHC develops and shapes public well being for the U.S. Navy and Marines Corps by well being surveillance, epidemiology and evaluation, illness and harm prevention, and public well being session. Study extra by going to www.nmcphc.med.navy.mil. Comply with NMCPHC on social media at https://www.fb.com/NavyAndMarineCorpsPublicHealthCenter http://twitter.com/nmcphc and https://www.instagram.com/nmcphc/
