Photo By Lt.Cmdr. Alicia Sacks | 250604-N-FT324-2338. ROTA, Spain (June 4, 2025). Hospitalman Jacob Adams and...... read more read more
ROTA, Spain (June 6, 2025) - As the operational tempo of the U.S. Navy continues to accelerate around the globe, the need for skilled emergency medical care is more critical than ever. On the front lines of this effort is Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Rota, where Sailors are being trained to become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) through a rigorous and mission-driven EMT-Basic (EMT-B) certification program.
This training pipeline is designed to meet the growing demand for immediate medical responders who can provide urgent, life-saving care in dynamic, often austere environments, aboard ships, in field operations, and during expeditionary missions. EMT training also equips Navy Corpsmen with the critical lifesaving skills needed to staff Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical Systems (ERSS) and En Route Care Teams (ERCS), ensuring rapid, frontline medical support in operational environments where every moment counts.
Corpsmen who complete the EMT-B program are eligible to earn a national certification through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), validating their skills at a civilian-recognized standard. Additionally, students who successfully pass the NREMT certification exam receive a Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC), enhancing their professional development and opening doors to advanced medical assignments across the fleet and joint service medical teams. This dual recognition highlights the high standard of training delivered and underscores the Navy’s commitment to readiness and excellence in military medicine.
“Having highly trained EMTs on hand is essential to safeguarding our warfighters and ensuring medical readiness wherever the Navy operates,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Rigel Jamero, an EMT-B lead instructor at NMRTC Rota. “We’re building the frontline responders who will act decisively when every second counts.”
The EMT-B program at NMRTC Rota is built on more than 160 hours of classroom instruction, practical skill-building, and high-fidelity simulation. Students are trained to manage trauma, medical emergencies, airway complications, and more; all while developing critical thinking and decision-making skills under pressure. Though aligned with national civilian standards, the course is uniquely tailored for military medicine, focusing on rapid response and adaptability in operational settings.
“Our graduates leave with more than just a certification,” said Cmdr. Charlene Brew, the Education and Training Department Head. “They walk out of here ready to operate in high-stress, high-stakes environments with preparation to save lives in the most challenging conditions.”
NMRTC Rota’s EMT-B program underscores Navy Medicine’s broader mission: to deliver expeditionary medical support and maintain peak warfighter readiness worldwide. With every new EMT trained, the command strengthens its capacity to support fleet operations across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
NMRTC Rota serves as a force multiplier in Navy Medicine’s strategic global medical support mission throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East while also supporting operational readiness and maintaining a strategic repository of expertise at the Naval Hospital Rota Military Training Facility within the Iberian Peninsula.
Navy Medicine is 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.
| Date Taken: | 06.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2025 10:38 |
| Story ID: | 500799 |
| Location: | ROTA, ES |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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