Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Participates in First-Ever Advanced Field Water Course

Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command
Courtesy Story

Date: 05.08.2018
Posted: 05.08.2018 08:55
News ID: 276089

The Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Five (NEPMU-5) participated in the pilot Advanced Field Water course at Naval Base San Diego, April 30 - May 3, 2018.

Twenty-four participants, including environmental health officers and preventive medicine technicians, were in attendance. The course was developed by the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC) to address knowledge gaps for the preventive medicine components of the Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Unit (FDPMU) in relation to military field water operations under Navy guidance.

“The purpose of this training is to develop a curriculum that provides foundational knowledge and capabilities application for deployed military preventive medicine assets supporting field or expeditionary drinking water and wastewater operations,” said Lt. Jefferson Moody, environmental health officer and main course developer, NMCPHC.

The course consists of concepts in foundational sciences such as hydrology, source water (ground and surface), water chemistry and pollution, regulatory or military doctrine, and military drinking water and wastewater engineering or technologies.

"The advanced field water course supports our overall mission of maximizing readiness and training the FDPMU assets, increasing our capabilities to provide force health protection to our operational forces,” said Cmdr. Shelton Lyons, officer in charge, NEPMU-5. "We have a multidisciplinary team that is dedicated and seeks every opportunity to further enhance their skills."

Instructors utilized both didactic and practical applications to discuss field water source selection, treatment, approval, surveillance and standards as well as water quality analysis capabilities and limitations. Students participating in the course had an opportunity to review guidelines for commercial bottled water, waste management and waste reuse in field operations.

“Water is an essential part of life and is a critical component of public health that can affect the mission and well-being of deployed forces,” said Lyons. “Overall, our goal is to protect and enhance the health and performance of the warfighter by ensuring the quality of field water supplies.”

Looking ahead, the Advanced Field Water course will primarily be offered to FDPMU team members as part of their required training cycle as well as to United States Marine Corps Preventive Medicine Level II and III assets engaged in military field water operations.

For more news from NEPMU-5, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/nepmu5 or follow NEPMU-5 on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nepmu5.

For more news from NMCPHC, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/nmcphc/.