TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — Six corpsmen completed the Navy’s Audiology Technician Course held at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Twentynine Palms from July 21 to 25, earning certification to conduct hearing screenings that are critical to medical readiness across the fleet and force.

The course, led by Yorba Linda, Calif. native Lt. Christopher Barajas, the command’s Audiology Department Head, is designed to equip enlisted medical personnel and civilian technicians with the skills and certification required to perform hearing screenings for active-duty service members. For those enrolled in the Hearing Conservation Program, annual audiograms to monitor changes in hearing sensitivity is one of the key requirements for service members to be deemed fit for duty, the work of audio technicians directly supports the Navy's operational readiness.

“The primary goal of the course is to certify corpsmen and civilian health technicians to run hearing screeners for active-duty service members,” said Barajas. “Having functional hearing ability within normal ranges is one of the requirements to being fit for duty.”

The course is structured to include both didactic and practicum components, culminating in a final written and oral exam. The students must demonstrate competency in not only understanding the anatomy and physiology of the ear but also interpreting audiograms, counseling patients, and troubleshooting technical equipment in the field.

“One thing that I always tell my students during the audio tech course is that each of them must be prepared to wear multiple hats throughout the day and be comfortable interchanging between them as new issues come up,” said Barajas. “Some examples are roles they have to fill are audio technician, IT technician, detective, and health care provider.”

In addition to developing the technical knowledge required to conduct accurate and valid audiograms, students also gain experience in patient communication—learning how to explain complex medical concepts in terms that patients can understand without fear or confusion.

“I think the biggest challenge I’ve noticed from my students is using patient-friendly language when counseling patients on audiogram test results,” said Barajas. “A big part of the class is teaching audio technicians the technical jargon that they would see in the field of audiology, but I also emphasize how that jargon can best be communicated to our patients without creating unnecessary fear or distress.”

Upon completing the course and meeting post-course requirements, the students are officially certified to perform hearing screenings independently—a vital role in military medicine, given that hearing loss and tinnitus are among the two most frequently reported post-service-related injuries.

“True hearing losses and valid audiograms tend to show a sensorineural hearing loss (originating in the inner ear and 8th cranial nerve) due to the nature of noise exposure our service members are exposed to,” Barajas explained.

Each day, the Adult Medical Care Clinic (AMCC) at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) in Twentynine Palms sees dozens of patients. With more than 12,000 service members enrolled in the installation’s hearing conservation program, the workload is immense and ongoing.

“An audio technician at the AMCC is expected to see around 60 to 90 patients each day,” said Barajas. “Each audio technician is equipped with the knowledge to chart patient notes in the electronic health record and bill insurance for what type of evaluation and counseling they completed with each patient.”

Currently, one full-time audio technician is assigned to run audiograms each workday. Two additional booths are available in green side locations and are used intermittently for stand-downs as needed, while a third booth is located on the first deck of Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital for occupational health screenings and walk-ins.


Looking ahead, Barajas hopes his students leave the course with more than just clinical proficiency. He also aims to instill a deep respect and curiosity for audiology.

“Audiology is oftentimes a misunderstood science that gets overlooked frequently,” he said. “I hope that following the course, I’ve embedded a new sense of appreciation for the field and possibly the curiosity to pursue further.”

Barajas speaks from experience. He originally studied to become a speech-language pathologist and worked as an assistant in that field before a chance encounter changed his career path.

“Things looked like they were headed in that direction until I attended an event at California State University Fullerton, and the guest speaker was advertising Navy Audiology,” Barajas recalled. “The Communication Sciences and Disorders, Bachelor’s pathway for both Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, is primarily female. There was one other male (besides myself) in my cohort of 100 students. Standing out during the event, I was called out from the crowd by the guest speaker to strongly reconsider my affinity for speech-language pathology and it piqued my interest. I began to research it in great lengths and informed my wife that this was the career field I knew I belonged to.”

His decision eventually led him to Navy Medicine—a branch where audiologists are few but essential.

“Currently, the only branches with audiologists are Army, Air Force, and Navy,” Barajas said. “There are only 30 active-duty Navy audiologists around the whole world, both CONUS (in the United States) and OCONUS (overseas). Of the three branches, the Navy holds the fewest amount.”

Barajas emphasizes that conducting audiograms requires more than just technical ability—it demands critical thinking, adaptability, and a strong grasp of anatomy and physiology. He often tells his students that becoming a certified audio technician means stepping into the role of a detective, especially when faced with inconsistencies in test results.

“Being competent in reading and interpreting test results gives audio technicians a semblance of being a detective,” Barajas said. “When some audiogram results do not add up, certified audio technicians are often able to take a step back and look at the holistic picture of patient cases.”

According to Barajas, not every audiogram is straightforward. In many cases, students must learn to identify when a result is valid or invalid, and why—something that requires both knowledge of the inner ear’s anatomy and an understanding of how equipment and patient behavior can impact results. If the screening software detects an anomaly or if a patient’s responses don’t align with expected patterns, it’s up to the technician to dig deeper.

He teaches students to look beyond the numbers and ask the right questions: Was the equipment functioning properly? Did the patient understand the instructions? Could there be an underlying medical condition affecting the results?

“These are the types of situations where audio techs need to approach their work like investigators,” he said. “We can’t just accept the numbers at face value. Sometimes we have to troubleshoot the equipment, sometimes we have to reevaluate how the test was administered, and sometimes we have to consider whether the patient might need a medical referral.”

That leads to another critical component of the course—what Barajas calls the “warm handoff.” It’s a patient-centered approach that ensures service members with abnormal results are connected directly and effectively to the care they need, rather than being left with unanswered questions or uncertain next steps.

“As a military audiologist, I am a huge advocate for practicing a ‘warm handoff’ with our patients,” he said. “Is the patient’s abnormal audiogram result due to something that requires medical intervention? Good—let’s complete a warm handoff and make the appropriate recommendation to where the patient needs to be referred to.”

He stresses that this process isn't just about checking a box; it's about taking responsibility for the next step in the patient’s journey.

“Our goal is not only to screen hearing but to interpret what we see and guide our patients toward the right resources. That’s what makes this course—and the technicians who complete it—so valuable to Navy Medicine and the readiness mission,” Barajas said.

One of the Sailors who recently completed the course, Hospitalman Yelmy Marie Agosto from Buena Ventura Lakes, Florida, said she saw the course as an opportunity to expand her skill set and contribute more meaningfully to her team.

“I enrolled into the audiology technician course because I saw it as a chance to branch out, gain more experience, and become a more well-rounded corpsman to better serve patients and support my team,” said Agosto.

She added that the training gave her a deeper appreciation for the role audiology plays in force readiness.

“The course helped me understand that audiology isn’t just about hearing tests—it’s about protecting one of our most vital senses and improving patients’ outcomes through early interventions to keep the warfighter in the fight.”

As this latest group of six certified technicians returns to their respective commands, they bring with them new skills that not only expand their own professional capabilities but directly contribute to maintaining the readiness and deployability of Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

With hearing health being integral to mission success, courses like this remain vital to keeping the force fit, focused, and in the fight.