June 2021 Newsletter

News from MHCE 

JUNE 2021 EDITION 

Monthly Newsletter 

WWW.MHCE.US 

Biden Praises US Troops and Families During 

Speech in England 

During President Joe Biden’s 

first overseas tour as commander 

in chief, he sent a clear message 

Wednesday that U.S. service 

members and their families are 

key to strengthening relationships 

at home and abroad. 

“You are the solid steel spine of 

America around which alliances 

are built and strengthened,” 

Biden told U.S. troops and their 

families, speaking in a hangar on 

RAF Mildenhall, England. 

Biden’s speech reflected the 

overall theme for his trip: 

“America is here to lead with 

strength.” 

The UK visit — the first stop on 

his eight-day trip — comes ahead 

of a meeting next week with 

Russian President Vladimir Putin 

in Geneva and with leaders at 

NATO headquarters in Brussels. 

“I’m meeting with Putin to let him 

know what I want him to know,” 

Biden said to roaring applause. 

“The United States will respond 

in a robust and meaningful way 

when the Russian government 

engages in harmful activities. 

That there are consequences 

for violating the sanctity of 

democracy.” 

Among the matters Biden is 

expected to address with Putin 

are recent cybersecurity attacks 

directed at U.S. businesses and 

government agencies. Officials 

believe Russia was behind those 

attacks. 

Biden will convene with NATO 

allies Monday to discuss security 

issues in Europe and the progress 

of the alliance’s withdrawal from 

Afghanistan. Since he took office, 

Biden has talked up the value 

of NATO, which faced frequent 

criticism from former President 

Donald Trump on issues like 

defense spending. During Biden’s 

first visit as president to NATO 

headquarters, the allies are likely 

to project a unified front. 

“This summit will be a strong 

demonstration of trans-Atlantic 

unity, of Europe and North 

America standing together 

in NATO,” NATO Secretary- 

General Jens Stoltenberg said 

Tuesday after meeting with Biden 

at the White House. “Because we 

are stronger, we are safer together 

in a more unpredictable world.”

2 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us JUNE 2021 EDITION

WWW.MHCE.US Monthly Newsletter | 3 

Brown joined the Army Reserve as 

an enlisted Soldier four years ago. 

He received an ROTC scholarship 

and attended college, afterwards 

commissioning as a medical service 

officer. 

He said the opportunity to do more 

was there and felt a calling to the 

PA program. Once he had the 60 

credit hours necessary — and other 

prerequisites — he decided to put in his 

application. 

GLWACH’s Ed. Dept. Helps Secure 

Future of Army Medicine 

Healthcare professionals spend years 

obtaining complex medical degrees. 

The Education Department at General 

Leonard Wood Army Community 

Hospital helps ensure the learning 

continues, not only for GLWACH staff, 

but for hospitals across the entire state 

of Missouri. 

Jordan Walters, chief of Hospital 

Education and Staff Development 

at GLWACH, said the training and 

education support programs offered 

here include virtual and in-person 

clinical training opportunities. 

“Our HESD clinical staff members 

provide the required training healthcare 

professionals need to maintain their 

credentials,” Walters said. 

One of the programs the hospital 

supports is the Interservice Physician 

Assistant Program, which offers 

enlisted and officer service members 

from any career field the opportunity to 

become PAs, said Maj. Jon Thibodeau, 

GLWACH’s PA training coordinator. 

GLWACH trains about 10 students each 

year in the hands-on, phase two portion 

of the 29-month program. 

Staff Sgt. Stephanie Foster, a medic in 

the Oklahoma National Guard, is set to 

graduate the PA program in October. 

She called the course challenging. 

“So many challenges and a lot of 

successes, too,” she said. “It’s like 

drinking from a fire hose with the 

information and putting it all back 

together in phase two when you actually 

have the patient in front of you.” 

Foster said GLWACH’s education 

department allows PA students like her 

the chance to rehearse trauma scenarios 

— an invaluable resource. 

“Trauma is increased muscle memory 

for us,” she said. “It’s like an algorithm 

when to do what actions. That way 

when it’s a scary situation, you have 

practiced it enough and remember it.” 

Like Foster, 1st Lt. Austin Brown, 

from Hebrew Springs, Arkansas, is also 

currently enrolled in the PA program 

here. 

“I got some really good advice from my 

PA, Capt. Robert Gibson, and he gave 

me some advice on what to do for my 

(application) packet and I got picked 

up on the first go-around. I felt very 

blessed for that.” 

Brown said phase two is a demanding 

time, where students live weekby-week 

through various tests and 

challenges. 

“I did not have a medical background 

beforehand,” he said. “But we had 

students who were master sergeants 

or flight medics, or Special Forces 

medics with a lot of diverse knowledge. 

Listening to them and their experience 

was a huge advantage.” 

Brown said he studies at home when he 

can to spend more time with his wife 

and kids, and has advice for anyone 

thinking of applying. 

“Go and talk to PAs,” he said. “Go get 

the prerequisites; look up the program 

to get a lot of information. Find 

someone who has already gone through 

the program because that’s where you 

get most of your knowledge.”

4 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us JUNE 2021 EDITION 

Navy Medicine announces 

FY20 Sailor of the Year 

Force Master Chief Michael J. Roberts, Director of the Hospital 

Corps poses with Navy Medicine’s fiscal year 2020 Sailor of the Year 

candidates. (From left to right) Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Dylan 

Marrone, assigned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 

Bethesda, Maryland; Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Thurman McCray 

III, assigned to Naval Hospital Guam; Hospital Corpsman 1st Class 

Alexis J. Sandoval, assigned to Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, 

Falls Church, Virginia and Hospital Corpsman Petty Officer 1st Class 

Michael Shoener, from Navy Medicine Training Support Center / 

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Navy Sexual Assault Prevention Response program-victim advocate, 

Voting Assistance Officer, Diversity Officer, and Command Managed 

Equal Opportunity (CMEO) Program Manager 

“All of my assignments have been exciting and challenging in a 

variety of ways,” Washington said. 

As the nation – and armed services – come to grips with confronting 

not just the current pandemic outbreak, but also racial injustice, 

Washington’s role as CMEO program manager is crucial in providing 

all staff members – active duty and civil service – a safe and secure 

setting to perform to their maximum ability. 

I Am Navy Medicine, 

and Command 

Managed Equal 

Opportunity Program 

Manager – Lt. Shanece 

Washington 

“I am Lt. Shanece Washington, Navy Medical Service Corps officer 

and Occupational Audiologist, Regional Hearing Conservation 

Program Manager, and Command Managed Equal Opportunity 

Program Manager at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training 

Command (NMRTC) Bremerton. 

Washington has been in the Navy for four years and is originally 

from Colorado Springs, Colo. and Rampart High School 2004-2008. 

She is a graduate from University of Northern Colorado, 2008-2012, 

in Audiology & Speech Language Sciences, B.S., with her Clinical 

Doctorate in Audiology, AuD from University of Washington, 2012- 

2016. 

“I am a direct accession into the Navy. I completed all of my 

educational training prior to joining. During my clinical doctorate 

training, I was offered a spot with the Navy’s Audiology Externship 

Program, however, I had to decline the offer. I finished my residency 

training at the Veteran Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, and 

made the decision to join the Navy upon my completion,” explained 

Washington. 

“The CMEO program is in place to ensure an environment that is free 

from social, personal, and institutional barriers that would prevent 

service members from rising to the highest level of responsibility 

possible. The ultimate goal is to foster and promote an environment 

that prevents harassment and unlawful discrimination. There are six 

protected categories for which harassment and discrimination are 

prohibited: race, color, gender (including gender identity), sexual 

orientation, national origin, and religion,” noted Washington. 

Washington’s role as CMEO program manager has her as the point of 

contact for command related equal opportunity concerns. 

“I do not do this alone, but rather with a team,” Washington stressed. 

“Our duties include ensuring proper documentation and processing 

of all reports of harassment and unlawful discrimination, both formal 

and non-formal, providing updates regarding ongoing reports and 

complaints to the commanding officer, coordinating the Command 

Climate Assessment survey, and most importantly assessing the 

impact of the CMEO program.” 

Washington attests that the importance of the CMEO program cannot 

be understated. 

“Discrimination and harassment undermine the capability of a 

functioning team and are a disservice to the staff members and 

beneficiaries we serve at this command. The CMEO program is 

essential to promoting a positive command climate and fostering an 

environment where all Service Members can thrive,” Washington 

said. 

“I hope to promote a climate that goes beyond the idea of equality, but 

rather highlights the need of equity and equitable practices that must 

be built into everyday occurrences across the command to ensure 

Washington grew up in a military family, and always knew from a 

young age that she wanted to work with military members or veterans. 

“My father served in the Air Force as a captain and instilled a sense 

of responsibility and service to community in his children. It took me 

several years to finalize the capacity in which I wanted to serve my 

community,” said Washington. 

Despite her relatively short time on active duty, Washington has 

served on both sides of the Pacific, from the Far East to the Pacific 

Northwest. Navy Medicine has afforded her the opportunity to serve 

in Yokosuka, Japan, Chinhae, South Korea, and now at NMRTC 

Bremerton, Washington. 

That fatherly advice learned when growing up has also empowered 

Washington to take on a host of overlapping duties, which include 

Hearing Conservation Program Manager, COVID-19 Level 1 Triage 

provider, Occupational Audiology department head, Controlled 

Substance Inventory board chair, Medical Service Corps secretary,


equality,” added Washington. “Ultimately, I hope to grow NMRTC 

Bremerton into an example of best practices for the Department of the 

Navy’s Equal Opportunity and Sexual Harassment programs.” 

According to Washington, the best part of her career has been 

collaborating with talented, passionate and forward thinking 

individuals who strive to a make positive change within the Navy. 

“I’ve witnessed the value of intervention and the impact that prevention 

has on the quality of life of service members and their families. I started 

my audiology career reactively by treating hearing loss in veterans. 

Now I proactively try and prevent hearing loss from occurring in 

service members. Additionally, I serve as a resource to operational 

commanders and leadership to strategize appropriate interactions and 

feasible recommendations related to hearing readiness. This is a great 

gift that gives me purpose and motivation to continue this essential 

work,” stated Washington. 

Washington’s duty as audiologist directly contribute to the Navy 

surgeon general priority on operational readiness and Navy Medicine’s 

core mission of producing force medical readiness and medical force 

readiness. 

“The mission of Navy Audiology is to prevent occupational-related 

hearing injuries and increase medical readiness. Hearing loss can 

place members in danger, diminish oral and communication skills, 

and lead to ineffective command control with a potential for mission 

failure,” said Washington. “Hearing directly impacts the ability/ 

inability to localize and identify sound sources in an environment. 

The vision of Navy Audiology is to ensure mission readiness in worldwide 

operations by optimizing warfighter lethality, survivability 

and situational awareness. We accomplish this through advocacy, 

outreach, training, hearing protection, medical surveillance, and 

treatment/rehabilitative services.” 

When asked to sum up her Navy Medicine career in one sentence, 

Washington replied, “My Navy career has been the most challenging 

and rewarding thing I have ever done, and has propelled me to higher 

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Auburn’s Harbert College of Business ranked as One of 

the Nation’s Best by U.S. News & World Report 

The Harbert College of Business is Auburn University’s second largest academic unit and 

continuing to grow. They’ve excelled at over 30 years of providing distance learning to graduate 

students around the U.S. For some of us, Zoom classes became a reality just last year. That’s 

old news to Auburn’s business unit because they’ve been on the distance learning train long 

before it became a common practice for schools everywhere. 

“In this dynamic and ever evolving online program space, 

few colleges have such a strong foundation and history of 

program development and recognized excellence in graduate 

online programs. We are honored to have our programs again 

be recognized [in] U.S. News & World Report.” 

—Harbert College of Business Dean Annette L. Ranft for The Harbert College of 

Business at Auburn University 

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Readiness at Forefront of Regional Health Command- 

Pacific Commander’s Spring Symposium 

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – Brig. Gen. Jack 

M. Davis, commanding general, Regional Health Command-Pacific, and 

Command Sgt. Maj. Abuoh E. Neufville, hosted the region’s 2021 Spring 

Commander's Symposium May 4-6, at the Tradewinds Club here. 

The theme of the symposium was ‘Ready Pacific,’ with an emphasis on RHC- 

P’s role in enabling a ready medical force across the Indo-Pacific Command. 

"As we get into MEDCOM’s pivot to readiness, we’re looking at what that 

means for us here in the Pacific, and how we support it,” said Davis. 

With readiness at the forefront of discussions throughout the symposium, 

attendees came together virtually and in-person from around the Pacific 

region. 

Participants heard from senior leaders from across the U.S. Army, U.S. 

Indo-Pacific Command, Defense Health Agency, and U.S. Army Medical 

Department, about important strategic topics impacting military medicine, 

readiness, workforce development, and healthcare delivery. 

DHA. Closing out the symposium was Maj. Gen. Michael Place, commanding 

general, 18th Medical Command, who spoke about the battlefield of the 

future and how Army medicine will be engaged. 

At the conclusion of the event, Davis, the RHC-P commanding general, 

expressed his appreciation to each of the speakers for their informative 

updates. 

Davis also thanked leaders for participating both in-person and virtually. 

He also recognized the RHC-P staff the planning and implementation of a 

successful symposium. 

RHC-P, headquartered at JBLM and in Honolulu, is the most geographicallydispersed 

command in Army Medicine, stretching more than 5,000 miles 

and five time zones across the Pacific. The command oversees Army medical 

treatment facilities and units in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii, Japan 

and South Korea. 

Day one of the symposium kicked-off with a briefing from Cmdr. Shawn 

Clausen, chief of Force Health Protection, INDOPACOM, who provided an 

overview of INDOPACOM’s response to COVID-19. 

Col. Nelson So, commander of the 47th Combat Support Hospital at Joint 

Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., gave an update on the hospital’s conversion to 

a Hospital Center and Field Hospital from its current configuration as a CSH. 

The second day began with a briefing on the DHA transition from Maj. 

Gen. Telita Crosland, deputy surgeon general, MEDCOM. Sgt. Maj. Jimmy 

Sellers, deputy chief of staff, U.S. Army Logistics (G-4), gave a presentation 

on the relationship between officers and non-commissioned officers. 

Col. Deydree S. Teyhen, chief of the U.S. Army Medical Specialist Corps, 

gave a presentation on improving the health, fitness, and readiness of our force. 

Teyhen has recently been serving as the Department of Defense therapeutics 

lead for the federal government’s COVID-19 response operations. 

At the end of the day, Dr. Brian Lein, assistant director, health care 

administration, DHA, discussed clinical readiness opportunities. 

On day three, leaders received an update on Professional Military Education 

from Maj. Gen. Dennis LeMaster, commanding general, Medical Center of 

Excellence. 

Attendees also heard from Mrs. Veronica Dudley, director, MEDCOM 

Intelligence and Security, and Mr. Richard Beauchemin, chief of staff, 

MEDCOM, who addressed the topic of Army civilians and their transition to


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CDC Lowers Guam’s risk level, Clearing Fully Vaccinated 

People to Travel There 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

lowered Guam’s coronavirus travel-risk level 

from “very high” to “moderate” on Monday, 

meaning fully vaccinated people are now OK 

to fly to the U.S. island territory. 

However, unvaccinated travelers who are apt 

to become severely ill from the coronavirus 

respiratory disease are encouraged to avoid all 

unnecessary travel there. 

The CDC’s “moderate” designation, also 

called level two, means Guam has tallied 

between 50 and 99 new COVID-19 cases over 

the past 28 days. The island had been at level 

four, which urges people to avoid all travel 

because of a high number of new infections, 

since May 17. 

Since the pandemic began, Guam has 

confirmed 8,210 coronavirus cases, 59 

of which were active as of Monday, and 

139 deaths, according to the island’s Joint 

Information Center. Six new patients were 

identified between Friday and Sunday. 

“We welcome CDC’s downgrade in travel 

risk for Guam from very high to moderate,” 

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said in a statement 

Tuesday. “This complements our recently 

updated protocols that allow vaccinated 

travelers to enter our borders without 

quarantine.” 

The news comes a little more than a week after 

the CDC discovered a COVID-19 “variant of 

interest” – B.1.617.2, or the Indian variant 

– among samples collected on Guam this 

spring. Twenty-five samples taken in March 

and April underwent genome sequencing by 

the CDC, which returned the results to the 

island’s Department of Public Health and 

Social Services on May 28. 

Of those, 16 were identified as B.1.1.7, the 

United Kingdom variant, and one was B.1.341, 

the South African variant. Both are variants 

“of concern,” according to the CDC, meaning 

there is evidence of increased transmissibility, 

hospitalizations or deaths. 

Another of the samples turned out to be the 

Indian variant, which the CDC and World 

Health Organization call a “variant of 

interest” because its potential risks warrant 

close monitoring. 


AT MHCE.US


CDC Discovers 

Indian Variant 

Among COVID-19 

Samples Recently 

Returned to Guam 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

lowered Guam’s coronavirus travel-risk level 

from “very high” to “moderate” on Monday, 

meaning fully vaccinated people are now OK 

to fly to the U.S. island territory. 

However, unvaccinated travelers who are apt 

to become severely ill from the coronavirus 

respiratory disease are encouraged to avoid all 

unnecessary travel there. 

The CDC’s “moderate” designation, also 

called level two, means Guam has tallied 

between 50 and 99 new COVID-19 cases over 

the past 28 days. The island had been at level 

four, which urges people to avoid all travel 

because of a high number of new infections, 

since May 17. 

Since the pandemic began, Guam has 

confirmed 8,210 coronavirus cases, 59 

of which were active as of Monday, and 

139 deaths, according to the island’s Joint 

Information Center. Six new patients were 

identified between Friday and Sunday. 

“We welcome CDC’s downgrade in travel 

risk for Guam from very high to moderate,” 

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said in a statement 

Tuesday. “This complements our recently 

updated protocols that allow vaccinated 

travelers to enter our borders without 

quarantine.” 

The news comes a little more than a week after 

the CDC discovered a COVID-19 “variant of 

interest” – B.1.617.2, or the Indian variant 

– among samples collected on Guam this 

spring. Twenty-five samples taken in March 

and April underwent genome sequencing by 

the CDC, which returned the results to the 

island’s Department of Public Health and 

Social Services on May 28. 


AT MHCE.US 

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A Look Back at the First African-American Nurses 

in the Navy 

From the dawn of the U.S Navy, African- 

Americans have played a vital role in its 

history and have embodied the basic tenets 

of service and commitment to duty. At the 

same time, the African-American experience 

in naval history is a story about breaking 

barriers, living through a segregated service, 

and overcoming limitations of opportunity 

on the path to what Admiral Elmo “Bud” 

Zumwalt called “One Navy.” 

During the Civil War, African-Americans 

comprised twenty-five percent of the total 

naval force; not included in this statistic 

were five African-American women (Alice 

Kennedy, Sarah Kinno, Ellen Campbell, 

Betsy Young, and Dennis[e] Downs) who 

served as nurses aboard the Navy’s “first” 

hospital ship, USS Red Rover in 1863. 

Although only volunteers, it is remarkable 

to note that for over the next century these 

women would represent the Navy’s only 

black nurses. 

Mixed crews were common in the Navy until 

“Jim Crow” state laws become the policy of 

the service. From 1922 to 1942, blacks were 

barred from serving as anything but mess 

attendants or stewards. Four months after the 

attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin 

Roosevelt called for the end of the Navy’s 

discriminatory policies. On April 7, 1942, 

Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox announced 

that the Navy would start accepting enlistment 

of blacks in ratings other than messmen. 

By 1943, African-Americans were finally 

allowed to serve as Hospital Corpsmen; and 

by March 1944 blacks—following the lead 

of the “Golden Thirteen”—were allowed 

to serve as dentists, physicians, as well as 

Hospital Corps officers. 

After October 1944, black women were 

permitted to serve as reserve officers 

in administrative capacities. Ironically, 

the Navy Nurse Corps, which had long 

battled for gender equality within the Navy 

establishment, would be the last to open its 

doors to African-Americans. 

Since being established in May 1908 the 

Navy Nurse Corps had a history of barring 

married women, single mothers, and men into 

its ranks on a permanent basis. And although 

black nurses were not officially prohibited 

from entering the services after 1944, they


were often “overlooked” in Army, Navy and 

Red Cross recruiting drives until early 1945. 

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Mable 

Keaton Staupers, Executive Secretary of the 

National Association of Colored Graduate 

Nurses were among the most vocal critics of 

the implicit “ban” on black nurses. A longtime 

advocate for racial equality in the nursing 

profession, Staupers wrote that military 

service was the responsibility for all citizens 

of the United States, especially during a time 

of war. 

On March 8, 1945, the longstanding barrier 

in the Navy was finally broken when a 

25-year old New York-born nurse named 

Phyllis Mae Daley received a commission 

in the U.S. Navy Reserve. A graduate of 

Lincoln School of Nursing in New York and 

student of public health at Teachers College, 

Columbia University, Daley had previously 

been rejected from entering the Army Air 

Force. Determined to serve, Daley stated 

that she “knew the barriers were going to be 

broken down eventually and…felt the more 

applicants the better the chances would be for 

each person.” 

Daley’s path would be soon after followed 

by Edith Mazie Devoe, of Washington, D.C., 

on 18 April 18th, Helen Fredericka Turner, of 

Augusta, Ga., on April 20th, and Eula Loucille 

Stimley, of Centreville, Miss., on May 8th, 

1945. 

Following the war all but Devoe would leave 

active duty. Devoe would later make history 

as the first black nurse in the Regular Navy on 

January 6, 1948. In 1950 she would become 

the first African-American Navy nurse to 

serve outside the continental United States 

(Triple General Hospital, Hawaii). 


AT MHCE.US


Navy Medicine 

Staff Cited 

for Stellar 

COVID Vaccine 

Teamwork 

The concept, implementation and fulfillment 

of team work was recognized May 13, 2021. 

Not in an arena, at a stadium or on a field of 

play. 

The acknowledgement took place at a Navy 

Medicine coordinated COVID-19 mass 

vaccine site. 

Rear Adm. James A. Aiken, Commander, 

Carrier Strike Group Three, presented the 

Navy and Marine Corps Commendation 

Medal to several staff members of Navy 

Medicine Readiness Training Command 

(NMRTC) `Bremerton for their COVID-19 

vaccine efforts in the third largest fleet 

concentration area. 

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class James A. 

Gibbens was cited for meritorious service 

from December 2020 to May 2021 ensuring 

COVID19 vaccine inventory totaling 42,000 

doses were properly managed in accordance 

with the strict guidelines, which included 

training eight petty officers on the proper 

handling of Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 

vaccine, He also coordinated mass vaccines 

for USS Nimitz (CVN 68) crewmembers, 

provided onsite expertise in vaccine 

management, patient flow and site selection, 

which set the standard for the shipboard 

vaccination. 

The reports of a steady increase of eligible 

beneficiaries getting vaccinated has been 

welcome news to Navy leadership. Yet 

what has also been just as appreciated is the 

behind-the-scene coordination, collaboration 

and cooperation to administer the vaccine. 

“You have come together as a team. What 

you are doing, and have done, is bigger than 

yourself. This (mass vaccination) wouldn’t 

work unless each one of you did your part. 

I applaud your effort and drive. For what 

you have accomplished, I am thankful,” said 

Aiken. 

Lt. Cmdr. Matthew G. Case was recognized 

for his contributions serving as public health 

emergency officer from December 2020 

to May 2021. During that time frame, the 

Medical Corps officer oversaw the successful 

COVID-19 vaccination effort for the entire 

Kitsap Peninsula, delivering more than 

34,000 vaccines to 8,100 active duty service 

members, 12,000 eligible beneficiaries, 

civilians and contract employees for Navy 

Region Northwest. 

Case was also noted for providing technical 

assistance to Carrier Strike Group Three 

ensuring that the vaccine administration plan 

adhered to Defense Health Agency guidance. 

Additionally, Case oversaw logistical 

handling of more than 42,000 vaccines and 

redistribution of several thousand vaccine 

doses to outlying clinics. 

“What most don’t know is how many extra 

hours I put him through, whether it was 

counting shots and doses every late night 

or coming up with ideas on the best way 

to administer the vaccine. Lt. Cmdr. Case 

has been flexible and innovative,” said 

Capt. Jeffrey H. Feinberg, NHB/NMRTC 

Bremerton executive officer. 

Aiken affirmed that the singular actions by 

Case, Gibbens and others, were essential to 

a successful team effort, and were a main 

reason why 'we have been succeeding in our 

efforts' to eradicate the virus since the vaccine 

was first offered to eligible beneficiaries in 

the Pacific Northwest on Dec. 23, 2020. 

“Whether someone was 75 and older, a 

family member or active duty, the courtesy 

and respect given to everyone by the mass 

vaccination team was very well received and 

professional,” Aiken said. “I had retirees 

come up to me after getting vaccinated on a 

Saturday morning back in January and they 

told me, ‘thanks.’ Not just for getting the shot 

that day, but for being personally contacted 

beforehand and taking the time to explain 

and answer any questions and concerns.” 

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How Military Spouses Can Use the 

Transition Assistance Program 

The Defense Department's transition assistance program (TAP) is 

designed to help service members get out of the military and back to 

civilian life. But what about their spouses? What's in the transition 

program for them? Before 2019, the most spouses knew about the 

transition program was that they could attend on a space-available 

basis. In October 2019, however, a new, congressionally mandated 

program rolled out and, with it, specific guidance for how and when 

some military spouses can get involved in the transition process with 

their military member. 

While the DoD is also developing a spouse-specific set of transition 

programming available online through Military OneSource, this 

policy addresses spouses and TAP as it's designed for the service 

member. 

What is TAP? 

resources. Finally, a capstone session makes sure all of the boxes on 

the transition paperwork have been checked -- literally. 

Virtual TAP Training 

The in-person sessions represent a lot of time in transition training. 

If you have a day job or child care needs, you probably can't or don't 

want to commit that much time to sitting in sessions with your service 

member spouse. 

TO ADVERTISE 

contact Nathan.Stiles@mhce.us 

TAP is presented to troops in five distinct parts, starting in most cases 

no later than 365 days from their final-out date. 

The process starts with a one-on-one initial counseling session during 

which the service member creates and walks through a self assessment 

and individualized plan. Next, troops attend a pre-separation briefing 

where they get a broad overview of the transition. The third step 

focuses on three different briefings from the Defense Department, 

the Department of Labor and the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Next, they'll pick a focused track that walks through education or job

WWW.MHCE.US Monthly Newsletter | 19


allow aircrew to wear their usual length arms and hems, decreasing the 

risk of safety hazards." 

But most pregnant naval aviators are still stuck on the ground. While the 

Air Force has moved in recent years to create policies allowing pregnant 

pilots to fly for a greater portion of their pregnancies if they choose, the 

Navy has yet to follow suit. 

According to Navy guidance updated in 2017, pregnancy is considered 

a disqualifier for flying duties, although aircrew members may request a 

waiver requiring approval from a local board of flight surgeons. 

"Designated Naval Aviators who are authorized to fly during pregnancy 

shall perform flight duties in a Medical Service Group 3 capacity only," 

the guidance states. That category refers to aviators limited to operating 

aircraft with dual controls and accompanied on all flights by a pilot or 

copilot with a less-restrictive medical qualification. 

Navy Quietly Rolls Out 

First Maternity Flight 

Suits 

The Navy welcomed its first female aviators in 1974. A mere 47 years 

later, it's giving pregnant pilots a flight suit that fits them. 

The service quietly issued the first maternity flight suit to Lt. Cmdr. 

Jacqueline Nordan, a mobilization program manager in the Naval Air 

Force Reserve, as part of an early distribution program, officials said this 

week. Several other pregnant members of the command also received 

the uniform in a test run to determine its usefulness, Navy spokeswoman 

Amie Blade. 

The Navy also began issuing the flight suit more broadly in May via an 

Aircrew Systems Advisory to the fleet, Blade said. 

"An Interim Rapid Action Change was drafted for the aircrew clothing 

maintenance manual informing the maintainers on the procedures for 

how to acquire a maternity flight suit," she said. 

All pregnant Navy aircrew members are now eligible to wear the 

garment, which features adjustable side panels and provides a snugger, 

more professional fit as an aviator's pregnancy progresses. 

Prior to the maternity flight suit, pregnant aircrew have generally 

collected larger sized flight suits and gone up through additional sizes 

throughout their pregnancy, potentially needing three to five additional 

flight suits," Nordan, who has previously been assigned to an EA-18G 

Growler squadron, said in the release. "Wearing a larger-sized flight suit 

results in longer hems and sleeves, potentially presenting a safety hazard 

in the aircrew cleared to fly during pregnancy." 

She added that baggy and oversized flight suits simply look unprofessional. 

"Pregnant aircrew who are not flying are still conducting squadron 

business," she said. "They're still instructing classes, working in 

simulators, giving briefings, and representing their organizations. It 

makes a big difference to be able to continue to represent ourselves 

professionally in a well-fitting uniform throughout a pregnancy." 

It was actually the safety hazard of the larger flight suits that prompted 

development of the maternity uniform, Blade said. 

"A single adjustable flight suit can expand across multiple trimesters 

depending on each pregnancy, saving pregnant aircrew the added expense 

associated with purchasing multiple flight suits, as well as the cost of 

tailoring larger-sized flight suits historically purchased to accommodate 

the changing pregnant form," she said. "The expandable side panels 

Single-pilot, ejection seat and high-performance aircraft that can 

pull more than 2 Gs are entirely off-limits, as are planes that conduct 

shipboard operations and those with cabin altitudes that exceed 10,000 

feet. And after the third trimester begins, flying is banned entirely. 

In 2019, the Air Force got rid of a medical waiver requirement for 

pregnant pilots who wanted to fly later into their pregnancies. It also 

expanded the standard flight-duty window for pregnancy by five weeks, 

allowing pregnant pilots to fly from weeks 12 to 28 if they choose. Later 

the same year, Lt. Col. Jammie Jamieson, a member of the Air Force 

Women's Initiative Team, said the service was evaluating the science 

with an eye to further reducing restrictions. 

The Air Force has also taken steps to design and buy maternity flight 

suits, launching solicitation and test efforts in 2020. The initiative caught 

the attention of conservative pundit Tucker Carlson earlier this year. He 

featured a photo of an Air Force captain wearing one of the flight suit 

prototypes and scoffed, saying such efforts were making "a mockery of 

the U.S. military." 

Military leaders from across the services were swift to condemn Carlson's 

attack. 

"Women lead our most lethal units with character," Sergeant Major of 

the Army Michael Grinston responded in a tweet. "They will dominate 

ANY future battlefield we're called to fight on." 

Creating a Culture 

of Caring 

Offering master’s 

and doctoral 

degrees for 

Registered Nurses 

Specialties Offered: 

Nurse-Midwife 

Family Nurse Practitioner 

Women’s Health Care NP 

Psychiatric-Mental Health NP 

Learn more at frontier.edu/military

WWW.MHCE.US Monthly Newsletter | 21


Fully Vaccinated Sailors Can Make Some Port 

Calls, Ditch Masks and Cut Quarantines 

After more than a year of grueling Navydeployments that left ships at sea 

for months on end with no port visits, leaders announced that some of 

the strict restrictions put in place during the pandemic will be lifted for 

immunized personnel. 

Sailors who've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or had the 

illness caused by the novel coronavirus in the past three months will 

no longer be required to quarantine before deployments, Vice Adm. 

Phillip Sawyer, deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans 

and strategy, wrote in a new force-wide message issued Monday. The 

change applies to personnel on ships, submarines and aircraft, he said. 

Anyone who has declined the vaccine and hasn't built up antibodies for 

COVID-19 through an infection in the last three months will still be 

required to sequester for 14 days before deployments. Those personnel 

will also be required to take COVID-19 tests before deploying. 

Immunized sailors will also get the OK to make port calls in some spots 

with U.S. military facilities, including Guam, Bahrain and Japan, where 

they can use gyms, commissaries and other base services, Sawyer said. 

Fully immunized sailors can also stop wearing face masks and social 

distancing from others in most situations, his message states. 

With more than a year operating in the COVID environment, we have 

gained significant expertise in mitigating and preventing the spread of 

COVID-19," he said in a news release announcing the changes. "Now 

with vaccines and [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] scientific 

data, we are able to relax many of the procedures we put in place and still 

provide for the health protection of the force." 

The coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on military operations, 

particularly missions on ships and submarines, where social distancing 

in tight quarters is nearly impossible. Early in the pandemic, a massive 

COVID-19 outbreak on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt left the 

ship stuck in Guam for weeks as nearly the entire crew was moved ashore 

to quarantine. 

More than 1,200 sailors on that ship tested positive for the virus, and one 

died. 

Since then, crews have been required to stretch time away from their 

families by boarding ships early for quarantine periods ahead of 

deployments. Deployed crews also stopped making most port calls, 

leaving some at sea for about 300 consecutive days. 

Sawyer said the Navy is now seeing the military's highest vaccination 

rate and the lowest number of COVID-19 cases. He credited sailors, 

Navy civilians and contractors for assuming "personal responsibility" to 

stop the spread of COVID-19, which has killed 26 service members and 

infected nearly 39,000 Navy personnel. 

So far, more than 230,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel have been 

fully immunized, the message states. Marines, who routinely deploy 

on Navy ships, have shown some resistance to the shots, though. As of 

April, nearly 40% of the 123,000 Marines who had the chance to receive 

the COVID-19 vaccine had turned it down. 

"We must continue to pursue full vaccination and apply best health 

protection measures both at home and at work to sustain and improve 

upon this performance," Sawyer said. 

"The science is pretty clear," he added. "Vaccinations are key to best 

protecting our sailors. The more sailors that are vaccinated, the better for 

them, their families, the Navy and the nation."


Tricare Select is a new health insurance plan that replaced Tricare Standard 

& Extra. 

Who Is Covered By Tricare Select? 

Everyone eligible for Tricare with the exception of active-duty members 

may enroll in the Tricare Select plan. The program is available worldwide. 

Tricare Select Basics 

With Tricare Select you can get care from any Tricare-authorized provider, 

network or non-network. No referrals are required, but some care may 

require prior authorization. 

If you see a network provider you won't have to pay anything except your 

copay or file any claims. If you visit a non-network provider you may have 

to pay the full cost and file a claim with Tricare to be reimbursed. 

How To Enroll 

For information on how to enroll see the Tricare website at https://www. 

tricare.mil/ 

Or visit our Tricare Select coverage page for more information including 

coverage and costs at https://www.military.com/benefits/tricare/tricareselect/tricare-select-details.html.


the FDA had advised that it warranted 

review. Company scientists said the 

drug’s initial failure was due to some 

patients not receiving high enough doses 

to slow the disease. 

But the changes to dosing and the 

company’s after-the-fact analysis made 

the results hard to interpret, raising 

skepticism among many experts, 

including those on the FDA panel. 

FDA Approves Much-debated Alzheimer’s 

Drug Panned by Experts 

WASHINGTON — Government health 

officials on Monday approved the first 

new drug for Alzheimer’s disease in 

nearly 20 years, disregarding warnings 

from independent advisers that the 

much-debated treatment hasn’t been 

shown to help slow the brain-destroying 

disease. 

The Food and Drug Administration said 

it approved the drug from Biogen based 

on results that seemed “reasonably 

likely” to benefit Alzheimer’s patients. 

It’s the only therapy that U.S. regulators 

have said can likely treat the underlying 

disease, rather than manage symptoms 

like anxiety and insomnia. 

The decision, which could impact 

millions of Americans and their families, 

is certain to spark disagreements among 

physicians, medical researchers and 

patient groups. It also has far-reaching 

implications for the standards used 

to evaluate experimental therapies, 

including those that show only 

incremental benefits. 

The new drug, which Biogen developed 

with Japan’s Eisai Co., did not reverse 

mental decline, only slowing it in one 

study. The medication, aducanumab, 

will be marketed as Aduhelm and is to be 

given as an infusion every four weeks. 

Dr. Caleb Alexander, an FDA adviser 

who recommended against the drug’s 

approval, said he was “surprised and 

disappointed” by the decision. 

“The FDA gets the respect that it does 

because it has regulatory standards that 

are based on firm evidence. In this case, I 

think they gave the product a pass,” said 

Alexander, a medical researcher at Johns 

Hopkins University. 

The FDA’s top drug regulator 

acknowledged that “residual 

uncertainties” surround the drug, but 

said Aduhelm’s ability to reduce harmful 

clumps of plaque in the brain is expected 

to help slow dementia. 

“The data supports patients and 

caregivers having the choice to use 

this drug,” Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni 

told reporters. She said FDA carefully 

weighed the needs of people living with 

the “devastating, debilitating and deadly 

disease.” 

Under terms of the so-called accelerated 

approval, the FDA is requiring the 

drugmaker to conduct a follow-up 

study to confirm benefits for patients. 

If the study fails to show effectiveness, 

the FDA could pull the drug from the 

market, though the agency rarely does 

so. 

Biogen said the drug would cost 

approximately $56,000 for a typical 

year’s worth of treatment, and said the 

price would not be raised for four years. 

Most patients won’t pay anywhere near 

that amount thanks to insurance coverage 

and other discounts. The company said 

it aims to complete its follow-up trial of 

the drug by 2030. 

The non-profit Institute for Clinical and 

Economic Review said that “any price 

is too high” if the drug’s benefit isn’t 

confirmed in follow-up studies. 

Some 6 million people in the U.S. and 

many more worldwide have Alzheimer’s, 

which gradually attacks areas of the 

brain needed for memory, reasoning, 

communication and basic daily tasks. 

In the final stages of the disease, those 

afflicted lose the ability to swallow. The 

global burden of the disease, the most 

common cause of dementia, is only 

expected to grow as millions more baby 

boomers progress further into their 60s 

and 70s. 

Aducanumab (pronounced “add-yoo- 

CAN-yoo-mab”) helps clear a protein 

called beta-amyloid from the brain. 

Other experimental drugs have done 

that before but they made no difference 

in patients’ ability to think, care for 

themselves or live independently. 

The pharmaceutical industry’s drug 

pipeline has been littered for years 

with failed Alzheimer’s treatments. 

The FDA’s greenlight Monday is likely 

to revive investments in therapies 

previously shelved by drugmakers. 

The new medicine is manufactured from 

living cells and will be given via infusion 

at a doctor’s office or hospital. 

Researchers don’t fully understand what 

causes Alzheimer’s but there’s broad 

agreement the brain plaque targeted 

by aducanumab is just one contributor. 

Evidence suggests family history, 

education and chronic conditions like 

diabetes and heart disease may all play 

a role. 

“This is a sign of hope but not the final 

answer,” said Dr. Richard Hodes, director 

of the National Institute on Aging, which 

wasn’t involved in the Biogen studies 

but funds research into how Alzheimer’s 

forms. “Amyloid is important but not the 

only contributing factor.” 

Patients taking aducanumab saw their 

thinking skills decline 22% more slowly 

than patients taking a placebo. 

But that meant a difference of just 0.39 

on an 18-point score of cognitive and 

functional ability. And it’s unclear how 

such metrics translate into practical 

benefits, like greater independence or 

ability to recall important details. 

The FDA’s review of the drug has become 

a flashpoint in longstanding debates over 

standards used to evaluate therapies 

for hard-to-treat conditions. On one 

side, groups representing Alzheimer’s 

patients and their families say any new 

therapy — even one of small benefit — 

warrants approval. But many experts 

warn that greenlighting the drug could 

set a dangerous precedent, opening 

the door to treatments of questionable 

benefit. 

The approval came despite a scathing 

assessment in November by the FDA’s 

outside panel of neurological experts. 

The group voted “no” to a series of 

questions on whether reanalyzed data 

from a single study submitted by Biogen 

showed the drug was effective. 

Biogen halted two studies in 2019 

after disappointing results suggested 

aducanumab would not meet its goal of 

slowing mental and functional decline in 

Alzheimer’s patients. 

Several months later, the company 

reversed course, announcing that a new 

analysis of one of the studies showed the 

drug was effective at higher doses and 

The FDA isn’t required to follow the 

advice of its outside panelists and has 

previously disregarded their input when 

making similarly high-profile drug 

decisions. 

About 600 U.S. medical specialists 

already prescribe the drug through 

Biogen’s studies and many more are 

expected to begin offering it. Many 

practical questions remain unanswered: 

How long do patients benefit? How 

do physicians determine when to 

discontinue the drug? Does the drug 

have any benefit in patients with more 

advanced dementia? 

With FDA approval, aducanumab 

is certain to be covered by virtually 

all insurers, including Medicare, the 

government plan for seniors that covers 

more than 60 million people. 

Even qualifying for the drug could be 

expensive. It’s only been tested in people 

with mild dementia from Alzheimer’s 

or a less severe condition called mild 

cognitive impairment. To verify a 

diagnosis could require brain scans that 

cost $5,000 or more. Insurers, including 

Medicare, don’t cover the scans because 

their benefits are unclear, but that could 

change if the scans become a gateway to 

treatment. 

Additional scans will be needed to 

monitor potential side effects. The drug 

carries a warning about temporary brain 

swelling that can sometimes cause 

headaches, confusion and dizziness. 

Other side effects included allergic 

reactions, diarrhea and disorientation. 

For patients in Biogen’s studies, the 

decision means they can continue taking 

a drug many believe has helped. 

Kevin Bonham was diagnosed with 

early onset Alzheimer’s in 2016 after 

having difficulties with memory, reading 

and driving. The 63-year-old from Bear 

Creek Village, Pennsylvania, credits the 

drug with helping him keep his job as a 

mapmaker for another three years. 

“Very quickly over a period of months it 

was like the fog was lifted from the top 

of my head,” said Bonham, who is now 

on disability and relies on his wife, Kim, 

to help care for him and his teenage 

daughter. 

Like other trial participants, Bonham 

had to stop taking aducanumab in March 

2019 after Biogen halted its trials. He 

resumed infusions nearly a year ago as 

part of the company’s ongoing research.

June 2021 Newsletter

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