Photo By Douglas Stutz | Racking and stacking…The Hospital Corps Ball committee at NHB/NMRTC Bremerton held a...... read more read more
Despite ongoing efforts to eliminate the pandemic and social distancing protocols still in place, Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command (NMRTC) Bremerton had a notable birthday to commemorate.
The Navy Hospital Corps turned 123 years on June 17, 2021, and NMRTC Bremerton hospital corpsmen took the opportunity to share their hallowed heritage with those they work with and work for.
Despite no prospect of hosting a Hospital Corps Ball, staff still formed a Hospital Corps Ball committee. They got creative and arranged for a number of events associated with their corps’ birthday and legacy.
According to Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Julius Ramirez, the command’s 123rd Hospital Corps Ball committee goal was to try as much as possible to simulate the actual event.
“Usually in a ball we talk about our heritage, everyone dines and we give out raffle prizes. This is our out-of-the-box thinking of still celebrating our ball, but spread out over 30 days instead of one glorious night,” said Ramirez, noting that the common consensus driving the committee was to honor the sacrifices of those who came before and share what has been learned from the past to help direct them and Navy Medicine in the future.
“As hospital corpsmen, we come from a long history of those who have remained committed to care, even in some of the most trying times. We owe our respect and gratitude to those who have paved the way for us,” added Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Kyra Pulkinen, assigned to Navy Medical Readiness Training Unit Bangor, and part of the Hospital Corps Ball committee.
“I chose to participate in the HM Ball Committee to get involved with the command as a whole and leave a positive impact on my fellow corpsmen. Being able to be involved in the decision making process and planning of the events was a good way to achieve that goal. Our events are meant to show our pride of the Hospital Corps rate and demonstrate to those around us our commitment to helping and supporting others,” Pulkinen added.
There has been daily announcements honoring the 23 hospital corpsmen who have received the Medal of Honor. There’s been a string of Hospital Corps newsletters highlighting not just corpsmen specialties, but also different Navy Enlisted Classifications. There’s been gift raffles, essay contest on ‘what it means to be a hospital corpsman,’ poster board contest focused on the ‘hospital corpsman role in stopping the spread of COVID19,’ and a command-wide burger burn.
Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, chief of Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and Surgeon General of the Navy expressed his appreciation to the Hospital Corps leading up to their birthday.
“Thank you for your dedication and selfless service. Throughout this pandemic, our Hospital Corpsmen have been shining examples of resilience, and exemplars of the high reliability behaviors we cherish. The future of our Corps is in great hands and continues to model our proud history and traditions that we honor each year,” wrote Gillingham.
NMRTC Bremerton hospital corpsmen have continued to answer the need of the Navy surgeon general priority of ensuring operational readiness. This year alone they have traveled afar to provide support when and where needed, from helping with COVID-19 mass vaccination efforts along the eastern seaboard to aiding a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency mission in central Vietnam.
“Our Hospital Corps is the most decorated enlisted rating in the Navy. For 123 years, the Hospital Corps have stood on the shoulders of those who have gone before. Across the wide range of operational platforms, they serve those who defend our freedom around the world. Always ready to take on the most challenging tasks. To all Hospital Corpsmen around the world, Thank you, and I am proud to serve with you! Happy 123rd Hospital Corps Birthday! Semper Fidelis! Semper Fortis!” shared Capt. Jeff Feinberg, NHB/NMRTC Bremerton executive officer. Note: Semper Fidelis - always faithful - is the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps, and Semper Fortis – always courageous – is the unofficial motto of the U.S. Navy.
Navy and Marine Corps health care is characterized by five distinct corps, yet only one - Hospital Corps - is the Navy’s only enlisted corps. Hospital corpsmen are assigned throughout the command from clinic to office to work center to directorate to department to division. There approximately 420 hospital corpsmen assigned to NMRTC Bremerton out of more than 26,000 active duty corpsmen Navy-wide, many holding one of the 39 specialties: advanced dental lab tech; aerospace medicine tech; aviation physiology tech; basic dental lab tech; behavior tech; biomedical equipment tech; cardiovascular tech; dental assistant; dental hygienist; dive independent duty corpsman (IDC); dive medicine tech; education and training; electroneurodiagnostic tech; fleet marine force; hemodialysis tech; histology tech; manpower; maxillofacial tech; medical lab tech; medical-surgical, morticians, nuclear medicine tech; occupational therapy tech; optician; orthopedic cast room tech; pharmacy tech; physical therapy tech; preventive medicine tech; radiation health tech; radiologic tech; reconnaissance corpsman; reconnaissance IDC; respiratory therapy tech; search and rescue medical tech; submarine IDC; surface force IDC; surgical tech; and urology tech.
When asked to describe what it’s like to be a hospital corpsman in one sentence, Pulkinen replied, “the Hospital Corpsman rate is a mixture of passion for the care of others and a sense of pride in what we do, with some adventure thrown in.”
As the senior enlisted advisor for the Hospital Corps Ball committee, Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Randall Zenonian expressed his appreciation at all the committee had accomplished to share the Hospital Corps birthday tradition with the command.
“They all did a lot of work, on their own, to get this done. They made the commitment and made it happen. There has also been a lot of volunteer help, such as helping with the Burger Burn. The Wardroom Association has provided great support,” Zenonian said.
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2021 11:00 |
| Story ID: | 399268 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 266 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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