ROTA, Spain (Jan. 3, 2026) — Lt. Mackenna Smith, a native of Los Angeles, isassigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Rota, where she serves as a registered nurse in the Multi-Service Ward Department, providing inpatient medical care to a wide spectrum of patient populations requiring acute and ongoing medical treatment.
Smith said her decision to join the Navy was driven by a desire to serve others while building a meaningful career in healthcare. Through Navy Medicine, she is able to combine clinical expertise with operational impact in a global environment.
In her role at NMRTC Rota, Smith delivers comprehensive bedside care, monitors patient conditions, administers treatments and coordinates with interdisciplinary medical teams to ensure safe, effective and compassionate care. Her work directly supports force health protection and operational readiness throughout the region.
“Navy Medicine allows me to make a meaningful difference every day by caring for Sailors and Marines during some of their most vulnerable moments,” Smith said. “Being able to support their recovery and return them safely to duty is incredibly rewarding.”
Smith credits her upbringing in Los Angeles with instilling values of compassion, resilience and dedication that continue to guide her Navy career. She takes pride in representing her hometown while serving overseas and hopes to inspire others to pursue opportunities in military medicine.
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 Naval Hospital Rota on the Iberian Peninsula.
For 250 years, Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly trained military and civilian healthcare professionals – has delivered quality healthcare and enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.
Strategically positioned on the Iberian Peninsula, the hospital plays a critical role in defending, restoring, and elevating the health of warfighters and their families. USNH Rota provides ready, reliable care to 8,400 service members and their families.
For more information on USNH Rota and its mission, visit www.rota.tricare.mil ([http://www.rota.tricare.mil/](http://www.rota.tricare.mil/)).