Photo By BUMED PAO | Photo by BUMED PAO | DAYTON, Oh. (June 6, 2019) – (Front left) Vice Adm. Forrest...... read more read more
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FALLS CHURCH, Va. (NNS) -- Vice Adm. Forrest Faison, Navy surgeon general and chief, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, visited the Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton (NAMRU-D) to tour the Naval Aerospace Medical Research laboratory (NAMRL) and the Environmental Health Effects Laboratory (EHEL) June 6.
This was the first time a Navy surgeon general visited NAMRU-D, which stood up at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 2010.
“It is wonderful to see the labs I have heard so much about,” said Faison. “The confidence of our aircrews is due largely in part to the incredible research being done here to keep them safe.”
While physiological episodes (PEs) are not a new phenomenon in the aviation community, the increase in occurrence made the issue a top priority not only for Navy Medicine, but the Department of Defense as well. Much remains unknown about the causes behind PEs but, NAMRU-D continues to conduct a wide range of innovative research to combat the issue.
Faison began his tour of NAMRU-D with the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Environment (ROBE) within the NAMRL. The ROBE is a 12 by 21 foot enclosed room capable of simulating altitudes ranging from sea level up to 34,000 feet and capable of going down to four percent oxygen. This in essence, serves as a more realistic normobaric, or non-pressurized, training environment for multiple subject exposure.
In addition, Faison spoke with principle investigators and saw firsthand the unique devices used to study various potential factors of PEs to include assessing sensors, pressure issues, contaminants and toxins, and respiratory physiology.
“The research here is incredibly advanced,” said Faison.
He continued his tour to the Environmental Health Effects Laboratory (EHEL) where studies on the potential health effects associated with exposure to the various environmental stressors military men and women face are conducted. The EHEL has the capability to replicate and assess health impacts of a number of environments Service men and women operate in, including hypobaria (the result of exposure to atmospheric pressures) in diving and in flight. By assessing chemical and physical stressors, and the combinations of the co-stressors the EHEL can develop health protective exposure standards for our military and civilian populations.
During his visit, Faison was introduced to NAMRU-D’s $19 million disorientation research device known as the KrakenTM. The device was designed and built to allow researchers the most realistic motion simulations aircrew may experience in flight.
The 245,000 pound device is equipped with 4,500 horsepower, simultaneous motion on six axis, sustained planetary motion of 3G and horizontal travel up to 16 ½ feet. Its data acquisition system also allows analysts to access physiological effects in real time.
Faison credited the KrakenTM as a “life-saving device”.
After Faison’s tour through the laboratories, he addressed the staff during an admiral’s call where he presented Lt. Cmdr. Micah Kinney, Naval Aerospace optometrist, with the Research and Development Enterprise 2018 Junior Officer of the Year (JOOY) award. Kinney serves as the Department Head of the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory’s Acceleration and Sensory Sciences Department at NAMRU-D.
Faison met Kinney earlier in the day while touring the vision science laboratory which evaluates and seeks to improve human system interactions with increasingly complex display technology used in aviation, shore, surface, and subsurface special-duty occupations.
Before leaving, Faison thanked Capt. Matthew Hebert, commanding officer, NAMRU-D, and the rest of the NAMRU-D team for their hospitality and reiterated the significance of the work being done.
“The privilege and honor has been all mine to meet the team here. The amazing work you are doing every single day benefits countless lives across the fleet and around the world. Their families sleep well at night knowing that you are here taking care of them. So, thank you,” said Faison.
Navy Medicine is a global health care network of 63,000 personnel that provides health care support to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, their families and veterans in high operational tempo environments at expeditionary medical facilities, medical treatment facilities, hospitals, clinics, hospital ships and research units around the world.
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| Date Taken: | 06.10.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2019 14:35 |
| Story ID: | 326702 |
| Location: | VA, US |
| Web Views: | 126 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Navy Surgeon General Visits Naval Medical Research Unit – Dayton, by Angela Ciancio, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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