Navy Medicine's critical capability of expeditionary medicine and its ability to stabilize and save the warfighter was on full display with a mobile medical tent filled with cutting-edge medical simulation equipment during Marine Corps Air Station Miramar's ‘America's Airshow,’ Sept. 22-24.

With a steady stream of airshow spectators flowing through the tent, the interactive STEM display instilled interest in military medicine to many and demonstrated to the American tax-paying public that they can rest assured that if and when needed, military medicine will be there in an expeditionary capacity to initiate the process of critical health care for the warfighter.



“When the public attends military airshows, they typically don’t think of military medicine, much less expeditionary medicine,” said Cmrd. George H. Sterns, Navy Medicine Readiness Training Unit, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command San Diego, Miramar Detachment, officer in charge. “However, MCAS Miramar offered us the opportunity to set up a mobile medical tent filled with advanced high-fidelity simulation mannequins that can portray several medical situations, from respiratory issues to organ failure, internal bleeding to amputations.”

America’s Airshow has a component known as The Innovation and Tech Expo that ‘highlights the emerging technologies that the US Marine Corps is exploring and adopting as it looks towards the battlefields of tomorrow.’

“Our presence at the airshow was an opportunity to present to the public that when it comes to military medical capabilities, we can proudly stand side-by-side with our military aviation teammates and demonstrate that we are committed to evolving in order to meet the needs of our warfighters,” said Lt. Tiffany F. Bradley, Naval Medical Center San Diego's Staff Education and Training assistant department head and assistant diversity officer.



Bradley goes on to emphasize that the needs of the warfighter are meant to be met wherever they may need medical services.

“Taking care of the warfighter is among one of the key reasons that we exist. We also take care of military families and retirees. However, at this airshow it is a fitting opportunity to reassure the public that while the Marines conduct their Marine Air Ground Task Force demonstration [which enables Marines to deliver rapid, powerful, and sustainable response on a global scale], we too are demonstrating what we are capable of in the event any of the Marines were to sustain injury in the battlefield,” explained Bradley.

Sterns acknowledged that without the collaboration and support of the Naval Expeditionary Medical Training Institute, Navy Talent Acquisition Group Southwest, and the 1st Medical Battalion none of this would have been possible.



"We are humbled by the interest from the public as we could never have imagined just how many turned out to visit our tent," added Sterns.

The mission of NMCSD is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high quality health care services, and shape the future of military medicine through education, training, and research. NMCSD employs more than 6,000 active-duty military personnel, civilians and contractors in southern California to provide patients with world-class care anytime, anywhere.