Sailors assigned to Casualty Receiving Transport Ship 2 and CRTS-6 conducted shipboard familiarization training aboard the USS Tripoli (LHA 7) on May 7, 2025, a crucial step in maintaining Naval Medical Forces Pacific’s (NMFP) readiness.

This training, coordinated by NMFP, prepared the teams for rapid deployment, augmenting the medical capabilities of amphibious warfare ships and providing critical care to deployed forces.

The CRTS teams, comprised of Navy Medicine personnel from Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command San Diego, provide rapid, flexible, and mobile acute medical care to both Marine Air Ground Task Forces and Naval Expeditionary Forces. They transform a capable ship into a fully equipped mobile hospital, adding orthopedic surgical capability, increased nursing capacity, and vital ancillary services.

“Integrating the CRTS capabilities will enhance the USS Tripoli to provide enhanced medical care to patients, bolster the ship's ability to provide trauma care, stabilize casualties, and support sustained operations faster,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mayra Monarrez, officer-in-charge of CRTS-2.

Once aboard, the teams familiarized themselves with the vessel, led by the ship’s medical team, touring vital spaces – from existing medical facilities to potential surge capacity areas. The hands-on experience proved impactful for some.

“The most surprising thing to me was being able to see everything so compacted on a ship, but the ship’s medical team is able to fully operate like a medical clinic,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Nevaeh Conner, CRTS-2.

The training wasn't just about navigating the ship’s layout. The training focused on integration, with CRTS personnel working alongside the Tripoli’s medical staff, discussing protocols, reviewing communication procedures and practicing mass casualty scenarios. Monarrez emphasized the complexity of the shipboard environment.

“The most surprising aspect of the familiarization training was realizing how dynamic and complex the shipboard environment truly is,” Monarrez said. “In particular, it's the constant movement, tight spaces, and noise levels that can potentially create a challenge for communication and patient care.”

This realization underlined the importance of adaptability and situational awareness.

“As a Navy medical provider, this experience underscored the importance of being adaptable and having situational awareness and interdepartmental coordination to deliver effective care in a maritime setting,” Monarrez continued. “It reshaped my understanding of readiness – not just clinically, but operationally – and emphasized that providing care requires a unique blend of medical skills, shipboard knowledge, and teamwork.”

For some, the training was a first step into the maritime environment of Navy Medicine.

“This training was impactful because this is my first time stepping onto a ship,” explained Conner. “It allows me to be more prepared for a shipboard experience. It's still nerve wracking, but understanding this environment and getting to see it for the first time gives me more confidence if I have to treat patients here.”

The benefits of this integration were recognized by the Tripoli’s medical crew.

“CRTS integration with amphibious large deck operations is critical to a high casualty scenario,” said Lt. Aimee Grainger, medical administration officer aboard USS Tripoli. “Medical capabilities endemic to the ship are limited and not designed to handle mass casualties, so the added resources from a CRTS make effective management of mass casualties possible. The added personnel, knowledge base, and supplies are priceless.”

Grainger further emphasized the value of joint training.

“This type of training is critical to help iron out the expected difficulties of two separate groups of people joining together for a mission. Learning each other's capabilities and limitations, and how to best utilize every person is only possible through joint training.

By the end of the day, the CRTS teams and USS Tripoli’s medical crew had forged a stronger bond, solidifying their readiness to respond to any medical challenge at sea.

NMFP provides oversight for 10 Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Commands (NMRTC), on the West Coast and Pacific Rim that train, man, and equip medical forces, primarily in military treatment facilities. Globally, NMFP oversees eight research laboratories that deliver research expertise in support of warfighter health and readiness. Additionally, NMFP manages the Naval Expeditionary Medicine Warfighter Development Center (NEMWDC), which plays a critical role in preparing medical teams for expeditionary and operational environments.