Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Trevin Perry | Lt. Cmdr. Randall Ippolito (left), certified registered nurse anesthetist, and...... read more read more
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - At the Naval Expeditionary Medicine Warfighter Development Center (NEMWDC), a steady cycle of high-fidelity training serves as the bedrock of readiness for Navy Medicine. Each month, the center puts multiple specialized medical teams through their paces, ensuring a continuous flow of certified and deployment-ready personnel to the fleet.
During a training evolution Mar. 16-26, 2026 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, NEMWDC exemplified its vital mission by simultaneously training five distinct Expeditionary Medicine (EXMED) teams. The group included a diverse mix of capabilities: one Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System (ERSS) team, two En Route Care System (ERCS) teams, and two Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine (FDPMU) units.
This integrated approach is standard practice for NEMWDC, which is charged with providing unit-level training and certification for all the Navy’s EXMED platforms.
“While the true training and certification of EXMEDs rests in the basic phase of the force generation cycle, there is relatively little opportunity in Navy Medicine to conduct medically integrated training,” said Capt. Kevin Bailey, commanding officer of NEMWDC. “When we conduct patient evacuation especially up to theater hospitalization, there is always the opportunity to miscommunicate incurring risk to patients. At NEMWDC, we purposely execute multiple scenarios of medically integrated training enabling team communication between EXMED capabilities to best prepare teams for fleet or joint force employment. The opportunity to include preventive medicine teams into the training while our surgical and patient movement teams are onboard allows NEMWDC to increase our force generation throughput capacity.”
The training environment is designed to test the core competencies of each unit.
TheERSS team, a compact and mobile unit, sharpens its ability to perform life-saving damage control surgery in austere settings.
The training “prepares you mentally and physically particularly with respect to operating in a high-stress environment and working on communications and logistics are obviously a big part of these operations," said Cmdr. Ryan Schutt, general surgeon with ERSS 12, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. "So, from a mental perspective it gets you prepared and physically as well. It helps you deal with any stress you may encounter on deployment."
Meanwhile, the twoERCS teamsrehearsed their mission of providing critical care in the back of an aircraft during medical evacuation. These teams are essential for moving critically injured personnel to a higher level of medical care.
The twoFDPMU teamsfocused on their unique mission: safeguarding the health of the force through preventive measures. They practiced identifying environmental health risks like contaminated water and food sources and recommending protective measures to unit commanders.
By regularly training diverse medical teams in a dynamic, integrated setting, NEMWDC ensures that Navy and Marine Corps commanders have a constant supply of highly skilled, certified, and interoperable medical forces. This sustained effort is fundamental to Navy Medicine's ability to project medical power in support of the fleet and joint force around the globe.
NEMWDC, located at Camp Pendleton, serves as Navy Medicine’s center of excellence for Expeditionary Medicine training. The command develops, delivers, and sustains advanced, scenario-based training to ensure medical personnel are ready to support combat operations across the globe. NEMWDC’s programs strengthen warfighter readiness and prepare Sailors to provide critical care anytime, anywhere.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.01.2026 11:40 |
| Story ID: | 564044 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 10 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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