ROTA, Spain — In a historic milestone for the U.S. Navy, the Mortuary Facility aboard Naval Station Rota has earned the highest inspection score in Navy Mortuary history—a near-perfect 99. At the heart of this achievement stands Hospital Corpsman First Class (HM1) Julianne Thompson, the only Navy mortician currently serving in the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility.

HM1 Thompson, who has served nearly six years in the Navy, was responsible for preparing the mortuary for the rigorous inspection conducted by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). Her efforts, alongside a collaborative team of program experts, culminated in a score that reflects not just procedural excellence, but deep reverence for the Navy’s sacred duty: ensuring dignity, honor, and respect for America’s fallen.


For Thompson, the journey to military mortuary affairs was born from a desire to find deeper meaning in her civilian career. A graduate of Worsham College of Mortuary Science and Southern Illinois University, she left the private sector to serve something greater.

“I joined the Navy to continue my career as a mortician,” she shared. “I wasn't feeling fulfilled as a civilian, and I felt that being a mortician for the military would be rewarding and challenging. It has absolutely been both.”

Beyond the numbers, HM1 Thompson's mission is rooted in honoring sacrifice. “Serving in the Navy means giving my best for those who have given their all for this country.” Through her dedication, compassion, and unwavering standard of excellence, HM1 Julianne Thompson not only met the challenge—she set the standard.

NMRTC Rota serves as a force multiplier in Navy Medicine’s strategic global medical support mission throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East while also supporting operational readiness and maintaining a strategic repository of expertise at the Naval Hospital Rota Military Training Facility within the Iberian Peninsula.

Navy Medicine is represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.