Photo By Lance Cpl. Peter Sanders | Members of the Medical Service Corps celebrate the 66th birthday of their organization...... read more read more
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CAMP FOSTER — Members of the Medical Service Corps celebrated the 66th birthday of their organization Aug. 2 at the Butler Officers’ Club and Aug. 5 at U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa.
The Army-Navy Medical Service Act came into effect Aug. 4, 1947, and with it the Medical Service Corps, providing a permanent group of specialized commissioned officers ready to support the field of military medicine.
The officers enjoyed a dinner Aug. 2 and a cake-cutting ceremony along with the reading of birthday messages from the Navy surgeon general and Medical Service Corps director Aug. 5.
All Navy medical personnel on the island received the invitation to the event regardless of their job specialty, according to Navy Lt. Eva K. Reed, force health protection officer with 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force.
“It is important to show how diverse we are (in the field of Navy medicine) and what capabilities we typically support,” said Reed. “We intentionally had everyone show up in their uniform of the day to recognize the variety of fields in which we serve and to show how many Medical Service Corps officers serve with the fleet Marine force.”
The diversity does not only extend to the fleet Marine force and hospital staff; there are many vocations and locations within the organization as well, according to Navy Capt. Anne M. Swap, the commanding officer of USNHO.
“Thirty one specialties in the areas of science, allied health and administration make up the Medical Service Corps,” said Swap. “Medical Service Corps (personnel) serve at sea, on deployments and humanitarian missions, as well as in clinics, inpatient facilities and research units around the world.”
Having an organization such as the Medical Service Corps helps the wide range of medical fields to coordinate their work and share information, according to Cmdr. Joseph F. Piansay, the acting commanding officer of 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd MLG.
“Having multiple staff corps allows us to keep those within an occupation in the loop and allows a more streamlined coordination between job fields,” said Piansay.
One of the unique qualities about the officers within the Medical Service Corps is how some began their medical careers, according to Cmdr. Jennifer E. Smith, acting executive officer of 3rd Med. Bn. Many officers within the organization began their careers as enlisted corpsmen and wanted to further serve the Navy in a medical capacity.
Along with the valuable skills and experience the Medical Service Corps provides, its members take pride in the role they play in today’s military, according to Smith. The Medical Service Corps frequently works to support partner nations by participating in humanitarian-assistance efforts, such as providing basic healthcare following natural disasters.
“The Medical Service Corps plays a part in humanitarian efforts across the globe,” said Smith. “We also take responsibility for the continued research and design of field-medicine kits corpsmen and Marines use every day.”
In a birthday message to the Medical Service Corps, Vice Adm. Matthew L. Nathan, Navy surgeon general and chief of the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, praised the organization’s mission and the impact it has had over the past year.
“The officers of the Medical Service Corps are critical in supporting Navy medicine’s mission of enabling readiness, wellness and health care to our sailors, Marines, their families and all others we serve around the world, be it on land or at sea,” said Nathan. “Through your expertise and compassion, you advance Navy medicine’s readiness and health benefits, and demonstrate daily the Medical Service Corps’ commitment to our priorities of readiness, value and cross-service cooperation.”
| Date Taken: | 08.16.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 08.16.2013 02:47 |
| Story ID: | 112070 |
| Location: | CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 531 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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