Photo By Ben Lasky | Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Allaiha Carrasquillo, assigned to the National Intrepid...... read more read more
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It's 6:15 a.m. when Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class (HM3) Allaiha Carrasquillo arrives at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), a specialized center for traumatic brain injury (TBI) care at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Fifteen minutes later, she joins a team of 10 Navy corpsmen for morning muster. They review the day's clinical orders, assign responsibilities and prepare the facility to open its doors. For Carrasquillo, every day brings something new and a chance to make a difference.
"We have a wide range of things we can do," Carrasquillo says with a smile. "I became a corpsman because I can help people and make a difference. I always loved medicine growing up."
Carrasquillo’s role is as wide-ranging as it is essential. She may start the day greeting patients and staff at the front desk, answering phones, preparing binders for a new Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) cohort or helping a family check into the Fisher House - a temporary residence for patients in the four-week IOP.
By mid-morning, Carrasquillo may check new patients in, perform their vitals and assist with medical procedures, such as with stellate ganglion blocks (SGBs). (SGBs involve injecting a local anesthetic in the neck to relieve symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or chronic pain that often accompany TBIs.)
Carrasquillo and her corpsmen colleagues also help insert IVs, draw blood, run electrocardiograms (EKGs) to record the electrical activity of the heart or accompany patients to the Walter Reed pain clinic. Her work spans technical and emotional terrain — supporting physicians, administering medications and making sure patients feel cared for every step of the way.
Recently, Carrasquillo began learning battlefield acupuncture under the guidance of Dr. Douglas Hawk, NICoE's Department Chief of Clinical Operations. The technique uses small needles placed at specific points to help manage pain without medication — an approach increasingly valued in both military and civilian settings.
When asked her favorite part of working at NICoE, she lights up. "I like seeing patients happy and seeing that the care the came to NICoE for is working," says Carrasquillo.
Lifelong Learning, Global Possibilities
Like all Navy corpsmen, Carrasquillo completed four months of training at the Hospital Medical School at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Corpsmen are certified in Basic or Advanced Life Support, where they learn how to perform CPR and respond to cardiac arrest and respiratory distress and stabilize critically ill patients while they wait for transport to a hospital. All corpsmen are active general duty, and they may be assigned to support Navy or Marine Corps missions at any time.
Carrasquillo is preparing for her next chapter: Field Medicine Training at Camp Pendleton in California. She'll spend two months learning how to operate in combat or austere environments before deploying.
"It's one of the few jobs in the Navy where you can go anywhere in the world," she says.
Behind the Scenes, Making It All Work
Hospital corpsmen like Carrasquillo are the glue that holds day-to-day clinical operations together at NICoE. Their work help keeps the center functioning with precision and compassion.
Across the Navy, more than 30,000 active and reserve corpsmen serve in 40 specialties. Whether stationed at military treatment facilities, research labs or forward-deployed units, they form the backbone of military medical care — quietly saving lives, one task at a time.
| Date Taken: | 08.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2025 11:38 |
| Story ID: | 545921 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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