Expeditionary Medical Force Individual Augmentees Relieve Detachment
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS100829-04
8/29/2010
By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Bill Gowdy, Expeditionary Medical Facility-Kuwait Public Affairs
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (NNS) -- Expeditionary Medical Force–Kuwait (EMF-K), Detachment Kilo doctors, dentists, nurses, hospital corpsmen and support personnel assumed duties as one of the Navy's only forward deployed level III medical facilities in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations Aug. 12.
EMF-K Detachment Kilo personnel relieved EMF-K Detachment Juliet.
"While we always hate to see people go Juliet has done a remarkable job, but Kilo is here now and it's their turn," said EMF-K Commanding Officer, Capt. Kenneth Iverson. "And so far they've impressed us by jumping right in and taking over EMF-K much more rapidly than expected. We're glad to have them here."
EMF-K Detachment Juliet accomplishments while deployed include seamlessly integrating with their Army counterparts at Camp Arifjan and at the outlying camp Troop Medical Clinics (TMCs).
"Particularly impressive was the performance at outlying Camps such as Buehring and Virginia where our Navy Corpsmen worked in a unique combined medical staff environment with Army medics, delivering exceptional medical and dental care to coalition military personnel coming from and going to Afghanistan and Iraq," said EMF-K Command Master Chief Tom Countryman.
The unique working environment of a forward-deployed medical unit also required EMF-K Sailors to learn other specialties, providing several corpsmen the opportunity to augment medical facilities in Afghanistan.
"Our crew came together extremely well," said EMF-K Detachment Juliet Personnel Specialist 1st Class Leonard Bell. "So many things went on to make it a great experience, like MWR and our sports teams and events. This is the last deployment of my career and I'm going to miss it and my Det Juliet shipmates. It's been fun and I thank God for my experience."
With EMF-K Detahcment Kilo assuming duties during a deployment expected to extend several months, Sailors are finding ways to deal with absences during the holiday season.
"The holidays are a time to be with your family and I know I will be missing mine and they'll miss me," said EMF-K Detachment Kilo Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Brittany Hamilton. "But our det is already growing into its own family of sorts and that will get us through the holidays. The experience will make us more humble when we do get home."
EMF-K Detachment Kilo Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Maria Decena said the team unity she said began during the Individual Augmentee (IA) process will only deepen.
"I'm going to miss my husband and daughter terribly when the holidays come, but I have my secondary family here in Det Kilo," she said. "We've grown into a close family already, especially through the IA training process in particular."
While some EMF-K Detachment Kilo personnel will miss family events including birthdays and anniversaries, one Sailor will miss the birth of his first child - Lt. Cmdr. Jason Pennypacker, EMF-K Detachment Kilo radiologist, will be watching the birth of his first child via webcam.
"I'm disappointed I'm going to miss it in person," he said. "But when it came down to what is more important – missing the first few months rather than doing it [deploying] when they're old enough to see you leave and not understand that daddy is deploying, well, it was an easier choice. Plus getting to meet my son for the first time will be new and exciting. It won't be real until I'm holding my new son."
EMF-K Detachment Kilo HM1 Octave Dealminana, a pharmacy technician, said he is excited by the opportunities awaiting him, including duties at several outlying medical clinics in direct support of Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Marines serving contingency areas.
"I'm happy to be here, living the dream and supporting my country and fellow service members," he said.
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