Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle and Improving Readiness of the Fleet

NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain - Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Seven (NEPMU-7), NMRTC Rota Population Health Department, and USO Rota hosted a Health Promotion and Wellness (HPW) event at the waterfront, Rota, Spain, April 19, 2023.

NEPMU-7 provided knowledge and resources to four ships home-ported at Rota. More than 50 Sailors came to the event and spoke with our specialists about topics such as: sexual health, mental health, women’s health, nutrition, alcohol awareness, and tobacco cessation.

“This event provided the Sailors of the Destroyer Squadron 60 (DESRON-60) Fleet the educational resources and tools to assist them in making informed health decisions and promoted positive lifestyle behaviors,” said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Chelsea Turner, NEPMU-7 Senior Enlisted Leader (SEL). “It was a great opportunity to conduct a public awareness campaign with all the ships present. This provided the crews with base-wide resources supporting positive change while promoting mission readiness as they prepare to deploy.”

“These health fairs are a great way NEPMU7 can pass information to help maintain a Sailor's health and wellbeing, fundamental to our goal to support military readiness,” said Cmdr. Chad Yasuda, NEPMU-7 Officer in Charge (OIC). “This is a casual and fun setting to encourage good behaviors and answer questions to address any misunderstandings and myths about healthy behaviors. A healthy lifestyle and safe environment are a daily choice, so we are always looking for ways to reach out to Sailors and reinforce that message.”

NEPMU-7 posted at its unique location serves three COCOMS and provides health promotion and wellness support to all fleet vessels in its area of responsibilities.

“NEPMU-7 has a responsibility to deployed troops in Europe, Africa and Central regions,” said Yasuda. “Our job relies on the public health and preventive medicine experts, our officers and corpsmen who support the Fleet and Marine Corps. The job of a deployed medical department is filled with so many different duties; NEPMU7 is standing by as subject matter experts so that the deployed troops can be confident in their decisions no matter what the health hazard or threat is. We provide support for mission completion and also work to ensure exposures to hazards while deployed are recorded so Sailors are covered, even after they have transition to retired veterans.”

As one of NEPMU-7’s customers, Senior Chief Petty Officer Marisol Fernandez, SEL with DESRON-60 shares his thoughts about the services HPW provides.

“HPW services which NEPMU-7 provides to the Fleet is a massive win for the Independent Duty Corpsmen (who oversee Sailor’s health and wellbeing on ships) and ships' health promotion program and Green "H" award,” said Fernandez.

“Hearing the story of the Fleet and NEPMU-7 working together to promote Sailor’s health and wellness, Force Medical Master Chief of Naval Surface Force, Atlantic said “No doubt we have a great partnership with NEPMU-7,” said Force Medical Master Chief Frank Maccarelli, Naval Surface Force Atlantic.