Photos

260511-N-KC192-2003

260511-N-KC192-2003 PORTSMOUTH, Va. (May 11, 2026) Capt. David Jeltma, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic (NMFL) Chaplain, leads a prayer before a blessing of the hands ceremony held during National Nurses Week onboard Naval Support Activity (NSA) Hampton Roads - Portsmouth Annex, May 11, 2026. Recognizing that medical Sailors are often deeply involved in the aftermath of combat, chaplains use practices like the Blessing of the Hands to strengthen their spiritual resilience. The ceremony represented a shared commitment to preparing the force for the emotional and ethical demands of military medicine. Nurses from NMFL, Defense Health Agency (DHA), and Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command (NMCFHPC) participated together, highlighting the unity and joint effort across Navy Medicine and the Military Health System in support of operational readiness. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Levi Decker)