NAMI is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Council on Occupational Education as a Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (MED-05) branch campus and annually trains over 400 U.S. and international students in aerospace fields as varied as primary aerospace medicine, aerospace physiology, aviation experimental psychology, aviation optometry, and aviation physical examination technicians.

The Naval Aerospace Medical Institute Directorate represents the cutting edge of Aerospace Technology. On 19 January 1970, the Laboratory was designated a component command of the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute, under an Officer-in-Charge, and a modification was made in the mission of the Institute. Effective 1 July 1974, the Institute became a command directly under the newly formed Naval Health Sciences Education and Training Command. At the same time, the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, a component of the Institute, became a separate command under the Naval Research and Development Command. On 1 April 1981, the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute became an Echelon Three Command, reporting directly to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. At the time of the designation of the Institute as an Echelon Three Command, a new and broadened mission was assigned as follows: "To provide professional and technical support and consultative services in operationally related Fleet and Fleet Marine Force medical matters worldwide; to conduct education and training programs for Medical Department personnel in the various operational medical disciplines; and to manage, coordinate, and provide selected operational programs and services in support of the Operating Forces as directed by higher authority."

On 7 December 1992, the Secretary of the Navy authorized the official name of the Institute to be changed to the Naval Aerospace Operational Medical Institute. This name change was authorized to reflect more accurately the mission and functions of the Command as a resource serving all naval warfare specialty communities. On 17 December 1996, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery authorized the Naval Aerospace Operational Medical Institute (NAOMI) to change its name to Naval Operational Medicine Institute (NOMI). The new name more accurately represents the vision and daily actions of this command which now reach far beyond the aviation origins of the Institute. Additionally, the new name equitably distributes NOMI training and consultative services for all warfare communities.

NAMI's responsibilities are huge in scope but very focused. Simply put, we make sure that Medical Personnel receive the best possible training in all fields of Aerospace Medicine can be, and determine that a person is best qualified for their task.