The Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center’s (NMCPHC) Expeditionary Platforms Department (EXPLAT) of the Preventive Medicine Directorate hosted a joint service training course to service members from both the Navy and Army, with critical updates necessary for conducting occupational and environmental health site assessments. The week-long training took place in Portsmouth and provided specific procedures to identify and characterize occupational and environmental health threats.

Occupational and environmental health site assessment (OEHSA) is the key information organizing process and report that supports occupational and environmental health (OEH) risk and management of activities on military contingency locations. This recent course covered topics ranging in: Preliminary hazard assessment, site survey, sampling equipment and risk assessment in addition to other curriculum.

“Performing health risk assessments are very much a key tool needed to get critical information about risks that could affect our service members who are deployed,” says Dave Martin, the Science and Technology Advisor for the EXPLAT Department and course facilitator. “This is a step that also helps meet expeditionary surveillance requirements.”

NMCPHC’s preventive medicine directorate provides guidance and support for the force health protection of joint forces with preventive medicine assets. The rapid assessment of health threats in a theater of operations with the objective of either prevention or control can be a valuable first step.

“It’s important to ensure that all our service personnel who conduct site risk assessments receive training that is consistent, appropriate, timely and effective,” says Martin.

The course brought together preventive medicine technicians and officers from both the U.S. Navy and the Army, including Reservists. It also provided both classroom activities as well as hands-on practical application.

“Doing the practical application portion was the most valuable experience the realistic view of being down range and using knowledge we’re learning,” said Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Tally, a Preventive Medicine Senior Non-commissioned Officer assigned to Army Public Health Center, Aberdeen Proving Grounds. “I’ll be able to take these lessons back to my soldiers, so it increases their readiness to go to deployable units.”

Another portion of the course provided education in water sampling, utilizing a system known as Base Camp Water Systems Sampling & Analysis Plan, a recently developed tool for the updated multi-service OEHSA Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures.

“It’s an important tool that helps us map out the water system, which is great in helping us find locations to take samples and pin point potential contamination,” says Lt. Hilary Williams, an Environmental Health Officer assigned to NEPMU-6, located in Hawaii. “The kits are usually sent to us once we’re in the field, so practicing the techniques was very important and understanding the process helps greatly,” Williams added.

Lt. Williams said that also see the value in how it all allows them the ability to communicate better the risks to warfighters of any health hazards and guide mitigation efforts.

Because the course included members from the U.S. Army, it also allowed for education on how the two can work together going forward.

“I’ve enjoyed working along with the Navy Sailors, learning how they work individually and in units in an operational environment,” says Tally, “I would really like to see more joint training between these two services.”

The Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC) develops and shapes public health for the U.S. Navy and Marines Corps through health surveillance, epidemiology and analysis, disease and injury prevention, and public health consultation. Learn more by going to www.nmcphc.med.navy.mil. Follow NMCPHC on social media at https://www.facebook.com/NavyAndMarineCorpsPublicHealthCenter http://twitter.com/nmcphc and https://www.instagram.com/nmcphc/