The Navy Entomology Center of Excellence (NECE) played host to eight Boy Scouts from Troop 68, Wooster, Ohio for a facility tour and a brief introduction into the world of medical entomology, June 21.

The Scouts, along with their Scoutmaster and chaperones, learned how NECE’s Navy entomologists and preventive medicine technicians support deployed forces around the globe against pests and disease-transmitting vectors.

Members of Troop 68 toured NECE’s facilities and its biological specimen collection (a resource for reference and teaching material of medically important organisms.) In the Training Lab, the Scouts used digital and stereo dissecting microscopes to observe live invertebrate pests of stored products - a commonly encountered entomological foe.

“One way Navy entomologists support the fleet is ensuring our Sailors don’t get sick from contaminated food, by preventing and treating infestations of insects and other animals that can get into stored products,” said Lt. j.g. Jacob Underwood, NECE medical entomologist and Assistant Department Head of Global Health Operations. “It’s not only a health issue, but a morale issue.”

NECE’s unique DoD mission is to develop and evaluate novel products, pesticides, and technologies to better protect deployed forces from disease-carrying insects and other pests. As part of this mission, live insects are raised in NECE’s insectary for use in science research and to test the efficacy of these new technologies.

Scouts were brought into the insectary in small groups to learn about mosquitoes and their life cycle, and to experience how NECE personnel raise mosquitoes for experimental use.

“The group really enjoyed being up close and personal with the kinds of organisms Navy entomologists work with on a daily basis,” said NECE Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Austin Swagart. “They found it, ‘gross, but amazing as well’.”

As one Scout commented, “This place is really cool. More people should know what you guys do here!”

NECE is a field activity of the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC), Portsmouth, Va. 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/