CALLAO, Peru – U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) SOUTH held a change of command ceremony at the Peruvian Naval Medical Center on July 7.

Capt. Abigail Marter relieved Capt. Franca Jones as the commanding officer of NAMRU SOUTH in an official ceremony in front of distinguished guests, family, friends, and shipmates. Special guests included Lisa Kenna, U.S. Ambassador to Peru, Peruvian Rear Adm. Jorge Enrique Andaluz Echevarría, Director of Peruvian Navy Health, and Capt. William Deniston, commander, Naval Medical Research Command (NMRC), who also presided over the ceremony.



“It’s a time-honored tradition, the passing of command from one naval officer to another,” said Deniston. “Capt. Jones did an incredible job leading NAMRU SOUTH and I’m sure Capt. Marter will as well.”

As a guest speaker, Kenna highlighted the many ways the command supports the close bond between the United States and Peru. “NAMRU SOUTH's primary mission is to achieve improvements in the health of members of the U.S. armed forces, and this work has a direct benefit on the well-being, employment, and education of the Peruvian population,” remarked Kenna.

Andaluz addressed the audience in Spanish, expressing his deep gratitude to Capt. Jones and the NAMRU SOUTH team for their commitment work together with the Peruvian Navy in the detection of infectious diseases. He looked forward to the continued spirit of bilateral cooperation with Capt. Marter.

Jones assumed command of NAMRU SOUTH in April 2021. Under her direction, the command transitioned from 5% on site staffing due to COVID-19 restrictions to 100% on site staffing within her first year. The command continued to assist the region with surveillance activities and outbreak support for diseases such as avian influenza, H1N1 influenza, and dengue fever with advanced identification techniques. Additionally, NAMRU SOUTH experts assisted Peruvian and other partner region militaries through educational sessions during Continuing Promise 2022 activities in Honduras and the Defense Institute for Medical Operations course held in Lima in 2023.



Jones reflected on the international benefits of the dedicated staff members. “You sought out new partnerships and sources of research funding, providing crucial data for the health protection of U.S., Peruvian, and other partner nation armed forces and civilian populations. The scientific successes we achieved would not have been possible without our support staff who ensured availability of research funding and supplies, clean and safe working conditions, and compliance with the many U.S. and Peruvian regulations that guide our work,” Jones observed.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Jones attended St. John’s University where she attained her bachelor’s and master’s in biology. She earned her Ph.D. in 1999 at the University of North Carolina and conducted postdoctoral studies at the University of Virginia. Jones joined the U.S. Navy in 2002 as a Medical Service Corps officer and served at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, NMRC, the Pentagon, and the White House. Jones will return to NMRC and assume command in August.



Before assuming command of NAMRU SOUTH, Marter served as the executive officer and the first deputy commander for NMRC in Silver Spring, Maryland from March 2021 to June 2023. While there, she updated the Naval Medical Research and Development (NMR&D) mission for the future, and increased headquarters support for all research commands. Marter ensured the physical security for, and the funding of, critical forward-deployed biodefense teams. She streamlined civilian personnel processes, maintaining financial stability through expert personnel hiring actions. Realizing a vital need, Marter also expanded the marketing footprint of NMR&D through the creation of a triennial NMR&D magazine, and increased presence at national and international conferences.

“NAMRU SOUTH is one of the most productive and well-respected research commands in the Naval Research and Development enterprise, with a broad range of collaborations in the AOR [area of responsibility]. I am both proud and humbled to be the new commanding officer of NAMRU SOUTH,” Marter stated.

NAMRU SOUTH, previously known as NAMRU-6, has a long-standing agreement with the Peruvian Navy dating back to 1983. Hosted by the Peruvian Navy and co-located at their flagship hospital in Callao, as well as the Naval Clinic in Iquitos, Peru, the command conducts research on, and surveillance of, a wide range of infectious diseases of military and public health significance in the region. These areas of research include malaria, dengue fever, diarrheal diseases, and sexually transmitted infections, as well as antimicrobial resistance monitoring.