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Fleet Hospital 8 Earns MUC for 2003 Deployment

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050420-14
Release Date: 4/20/2005 5:43:00 PM

By Journalist 3rd Class Chris Gethings, Naval Hospital Bremerton Public Affairs

NAVAL HOSPITAL BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) -- Fleet Hospital (FH) 8, primarily consisting of Fleet Hospital Bremerton officers and Sailors, received the Meritorious Unit Commendation award March 8 for its 2003 deployment to Rota, Spain.

FH 8 was recognized for its achievements during its deployment from February to July 2003 to Rota in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. More than 550 officers and Sailors from 16 commands deployed with FH 8, and saw their first patient March 17.

“Everybody on board did an awesome job,” said Lt. Erich Dietrich, personnel officer on the deployment. “Everyone out there rose to the challenge and excelled tremendously. The time everything was built in was just phenomenal. We also set unprecedented accomplishments in the facilities we set up.”

During the deployment, Fleet Hospital 8 built two separate medical facilities from the ground up. One was a 116-bed expeditionary medical facility and the other a 250-bed fleet hospital.

“The two facilities we built and the time we did it in was truly remarkable,” said Dietrich. “The teamwork involved during this mission couldn’t have been better.”

During the deployment, FH 8 saw more than 1,300 patients and performed more than 250 surgical operations on Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines evacuated from U.S. Central Command’s areas of operation.

One of the numerous accomplishments by Fleet Hospital 8 during the deployment was the first fleet hospital reconditioning unit for patients recovering from battle fatigue.

“Our initial mission was to sit tight and wait for patients to come our way, and to possibly help out any of our own service members who might be having trouble adjusting to the deployment,” said Cmdr. Mark Russell, Fleet Hospital 8’s mental health department head. “We decided this wasn’t enough and that mental health should play a more proactive role in times of war. We set up the reconditioning ward that was not at all part of the original mission.”

Out of 110 patients who participated in the 14-day structured program in the reconditioning ward, 85 returned to their units out in the field, Russell added.

Another initiative by FH 8 was homecoming transition briefs conducted by the chaplain and mental health staff for all patients. This was the first of its kind by medical treatment facilities or fleet hospitals, Russell said.

“I think everyone on this deployment did just spectacular,” said Russell. “The teamwork involved from the top of the chain and down was superb. In my department, the enlisted corpsmen really stepped-up and were very instrumental in any success we had.”

All personnel attached to Fleet Hospital 8 from Feb. 16 - July 23, 2003, are eligible to wear the Meritorious Unit Commendation award.