Naval Aerospace Medical Institute Hosts Aeromedical Conference in Pensacola

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- Members of a U.S. Navy organization dedicated to supporting Navy and Marine Corps aviation units hosted the U.S. Navy Aeromedical Conference Jan. 14-17 aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Fleet-wide operational Aviation Medicine Technicians (AVT), flight surgeons, and aerospace physiologists from U.S. Navy and Marine Corps units - as well as U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard and National Guard service members, attended the U.S. Naval Aeromedical Conference, a forum for flight surgeons, physiologists and AVTs to discuss matters important to their community.

Attendees also attended lectures from experts in particular areas of aviation medicine and shared ideas, something Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI) Officer-in-Charge Capt. Charles Ciccone said is integral to the continued success U.S. Navy aeromedical personnel have historically employed.

"The theme of the conference, 'Distance Medicine and En-Route Care,' provided an outstanding opportunity for a joint learning environment and provided a critical update to our joint aeromedical operational forces who are directly supporting overseas contingency operations for the global war on terrorism," he said.

Deputy Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) and Deputy Surgeon General Rear Adm. Michael Mittelman and Commander, 81st Medical Group U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Kory Cornum also attended the three-day event

Ciccone said NAMI is the Navy's recognized expert in aerospace medicine and provides aeromedical consultation services, develops aeromedical standards and provides training to Navy, joint, and allied aeromedical personnel. NAMI hosts the event to ensure communication between members of the aerospace medicine community.

"We train commissioned and enlisted aeromedical personnel for naval aviation," Ciccone said. "The U.S. Naval Aeromedical Conference allows us to update our aeromedical personnel on the latest and best advances and allows us to remain on the cutting edge of aerospace medicine."

The conference showcased a series of open-forum lectures as well as breakout sessions including topics such as Radiation Health and Nuclear Field Duty, Aviation Safety Perspectives in Aeromedical Transport and an update from the U.S. Army's Flight Paramedic Program. The conference is one of the few military conferences specifically tailored toward aviation medicine.

Navy Medicine Operational Training Center (NMOTC) Commanding Officer Capt. James Norton said the conference underscores the important role aviation medical personnel play in global operations on a daily basis, citing the specific and often difficult tasking with which these men and women often face.

"Naval aviation's role in contingency operations has remained at the forefront of conflicts for the past several decades," he said. "U.S. Naval flight surgeons and aerospace physiologists who clear the pilots to fly these missions, train them on aviation sensory and acceleration physiology, life-support systems, egress and water survival. They provide a service that directly impacts each and every naval aviator. This is a highly specific and demanding area of Navy Medicine, and the service members who are part of this community are some of the best in the world."

Navy aerospace physiologists are involved in survival training, research, development, testing and evaluation to improve aviator performance and aircrew survivability, and aeromedical operational and safety programs.

NAMI is a component of NMOTC, the recognized global leader in operational medical and aviation survival training, which reports to Navy Medicine Education and Training Command (NMETC) which manages Navy Medicine's formal enlisted and officer education and training programs, medical operational training for medical and medical support personnel deploying worldwide, and training that prepares aviators and flight crews to survive in land and water mishaps.

NAMI, NMOTC and NMETC are all part of the Navy Medicine team, a global health care network of Navy medical professionals around the world who provide high-quality health care to more than 1 million eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ships, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield.