Rear Adm. Guido F. Valdes Commander, Naval Medical Forces Pacific, and Director, Protection Well being Community Pacific Rim, presided over the ceremony and offered Hines with the Legion of Advantage.
“Main a well being care facility is troublesome,” mentioned Valdes. It’s an task that calls for distinctive management and a deep understanding of our army’s distinctive well being care wants. The challenges confronted in offering world-class care to our army neighborhood are huge and ever evolving. The execution of affected person care, coaching, analysis, and operational readiness requires nice ability and experience…Capt. Hines has carried out exceptionally with grace and poise.”
“From day one, he targeted on the readiness and well being of our warfighters and their households by expertly main a extremely skilled staff of medical specialists to ship world-class care to greater than 189,000 eligible beneficiaries throughout the INDOPACOM space of operations,“ continued Valdes. “He fulfilled the command’s crucial position of guaranteeing a medically prepared drive targeted on increasing expeditionary capability with our allies within the area.”
Rear Adm. Satoshi Tsukazaki, director of the Japan Self Protection Pressure (JSDF) Hospital Yokosuka served as a visitor speaker on the ceremony and remarked on the connection between the 2 army well being care amenities.
“We’ve completed many issues collectively, however there are two issues that I’d particularly prefer to thank Capt. Hines for. First, we had been capable of transfer ahead with the coaching on harm management surgical procedure as a joint operational staff of Japan and U.S. medical personnel,” mentioned Tsukazaki. ” Second, Capt. Hines and his staff developed the Japanese-American Medical Interoperability Partnership Program (JAMIPP) and have began accepting our junior medical personnel to familiarize them with the U.S. army drugs. I’m positive that the joint coaching on harm management surgical procedure and JAMIPP will elevate our interoperability to the following degree.”
“Capt. Hines, thanks very a lot in your management and your dedication and dedication to advertise mutual understanding and interoperability between our two international locations,“ concluded Tsukazaki.
Hines a local of Raleigh, North Carolina, beforehand served as government officer of U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa previous to taking command of USNMRTC Yokosuka on June 30, 2022. He’ll report back to Washington D.C. for his subsequent task with Navy Bureau of Medication and Surgical procedure.
“Serving because the commanding officer of USNMRTC Yokosuka for the previous two years has been an amazing honor,” mentioned Hines. I’m happy with the Yokosuka workers serving on mainland Japan, in South Korea, and on Diego Garcia for his or her many accomplishments and mission focus throughout difficult instances. This staff has been acknowledged repeatedly for delivering the very best high quality well being care to our forward-deployed joint forces. “We’ve developed deep partnerships with our JSDF colleagues that instantly help the U.S.-Japanese alliance and our need for peace throughout INDOPACOM. I welcome Capt. Velazquez and his household to Japan absolutely assured that he’ll proceed the custom of partnership and fame of excellence that Naval Hospital Yokosuka has earned.”
Previous to receiving orders to USNMRTC Yokosuka, Velazquez, the thirty ninth commanding officer of USNH Yokosuka and a New Orleans native, served as government officer at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton.
“I’m extraordinarily privileged to take command and to be part of the legacy of excellence of USNH Yokosuka and USNMRTC Yokosuka,” remarked Velazquez. “With personnel stationed throughout three international locations we help the complete INDOPACOM by offering glorious care when and the place it’s wanted whereas additionally guaranteeing a drive that’s medically able to deploy, now. We’ve at all times met these missions and can proceed to take action.”
Story initially posted on DVIDS: USNH Yokosuka Change of Command
