Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Russell Lindsey | Photos of the new Navy Aerospace Medicine exhibit opened to recognize all the...... read more read more
When you ask someone what they know about Naval Aviation chances are they will reference a couple of movies in popular culture and will drop a couple of famous quotes like “talk to me Goose” or “I feel the need, the need for speed” and the image of youthful pilots riding powerful machines into the sunset is what most likely comes to mind. As with most things glamorized for the silver screen there is much, much more to the story. For every warrior sent into the realm of eagles there are hundreds of hard-working service members that work to get (and keep) them flying there. Tuesday, Oct 29th Navy Medicine’s role in that story was recognized today for it’s many contributions to the field of Naval Aviation and was awarded a place in the form of a permanent exhibit now on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum.
The exhibit being opened is intended to highlight the contributions of the many physicians, psychologists, physiologists, nurses, and corpsman who keep our pilots healthy, in the air, and trained to survive in the water. Among the more recognizable parts of the exhibit were the contributions of the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI) and Naval Survival Training Institute (NSTI) detachments of the Navy Medicine Operational Training Command (NMOTC). Mockups, interactive panels, and artifacts on display highlight many achievements and milestones that Navy Medicine has been present for in the world of Naval Aviation and even to space.
The exhibit highlights the many aspects from a medical standpoint that go into becoming a pilot and the effects the environment has on the human body and the various training tools associated with preparing pilots to meet the challenges.
“We are humbled and eternally grateful to those who have made this possible and are grateful in our ability to continue this mission to support our warfighter,” said Capt. Nichole Olson, commanding officer Navy Medicine Operational Training Command (NMOTC).
NAMI and NSTI, are recognized by nearly all in the realm of Naval and Marine Aviation are key waypoints in the path of flight and continuously serve those flying throughout their career. Preparing aviators to operate in the extreme environment of the higher atmospheres of our planet and to essentially rebel against the force of gravity is a complex and lengthy process. The process requires candidates hoping to become pilots to be in top physical form and also have meet rigorous mental and psychological standards which have been learned through many years of trial and error in aviation.
The new exhibits were put together entirely in-house at the museum and required input from both retired volunteers and active-duty service members. While the concept has been many years in the making more than a year went into creating all parts and displays for the new exhibit. Artifacts and displays for figures such as Capt. David Brown were showcased to help show the intrepid footprint Navy Medicine has shared in the history of aviation and space exploration. Even an actual command module for the space station SkyLab II, once used by Capt. Joseph Kerwin, a US Navy Physician and aviator is included in the display and stresses the enormous importance Navy Medicine has played in exploration of new frontiers of our world. The ceremony included in a pre-recorded speech and special thank you to the staff from the now 92-year-old Kerwin who was unable to attend but wanted to share his experiences to the audience.
“It was the greatest experience and I’m so thankful to have been a part of it,” said Kerwin. “Boy I never expected I’d get to see the things I have, and it was an honor and a privilege.”
The museum staff worked with a network of active duty service members and volunteers, to distill down the complex working information and develop the displays that would be the most engaging and most informative to all those who come into the museum not possessing an in depth knowledge medicine as well as the often not well understood role that Navy Medicine has had in aviation over the years. One of the most important of these contributions being that of Capt. Robert E. Mitchell, a Navy Physician at NAMI contributions his research program, named in his honor, has made to not only the world of Naval Aviation but in the community of former Prisoners of War.
The Robert E. Mitchell program of Repatriated Prisoners of War research studies is the longest running and only research program for the nations RPOWs and is key to the understanding of the effects of isolation on persons to this day. Research from the program has helped to shape other DoD and Navy programs such as Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) for all branches of the military and have helped to secure various care Veterans benefits for those persons who were once POWs as well as working assisting with the Joint Personnel and Recovery Agency through research and shared insights.
“It was good to see Doc Mitchell recognized for the work he started here,” said Dr. John Albano, current Director for REMC’s RPOW program. “I think it’s important to let people know what we do to help prepare for the future fight.”
The NNAM concluded the ceremony with an official ribbon cutting with quintessentially large scissors and a round of applause by guests and volunteers who worked on the exhibit, all of whom were invited to a catered reception and to interact with the exhibit displays. Many of the federally employed guests and members of the active-duty staff were pleasantly surprised to see the familiar faces of their colleagues as part of the working displays enjoyed after the ceremony with the recordings both answering their questions and providing interactive tutorials about the equipment and practices of aerospace medicine as well as details about their respective jobs.
In her remarks Capt. Olson highlighted the uniqueness of the Navy and stressed the core mission of NMOTC and Navy Medicine which is to be there whenever needed.
“Our branch is unique amongst the armed forces and is a force who projects power from the sea, with the induction of aviation into the capabilities within this great service it has become a vital projection of power and wherever it has gone navy medicine been right there on the frontlines to back them up,” said Olson.
NMOTC is the Navy’s leader in operational medicine and trains medical providers and specialists for the fields of Aviation, Surface and Undersea Warfare, Expeditionary, and Special Operations Medicine.
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.
For more news from NMOTC, visit http://www.dvidshub.net/unit/NMOTC
| Date Taken: | 10.29.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.12.2024 23:18 |
| Story ID: | 485132 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 144 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Naval Aerospace Medicine Exhibit opened at National Naval Aviation Museum, by PO1 Russell Lindsey, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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