NMLC Assists Djibouti, Africa EMF Develop Equipment Solutions

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS120425-12
4/25/2012

By Efrain Rosario, Naval Medical Logistics Command Public Affairs

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (NNS) -- Naval Medical Logistics Command (NMLC) located at Fort Detrick, Md., conducted its first assist visit to the Expeditionary Medical Facility in Camp Lemonier, Djibouti April 17-22, to provide assistance with equipment and to resolve maintenance issues there.

Members of Fleet Forces Command (FFC) and NMLC met with Expeditionary Medical Facility leadership Cmdr. Mark Lieb, NAVAF Deputy Surgeon Capt. Michael Sokoloski and Command Master Chief Phillip Nafus to develop equipment solutions for the Expeditionary Medical Facility that was built and outfitted more than 10 years ago.

Efrain Rosario of the NMLC Expeditionary Medical Logistics (EML) Program's Office, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Jason Upchurch of the Material Management Branch, and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Nana Bonsu from NMLC Detachment Pirmasens, Germany participated in the visit. The FFC Deputy Surgeon and Medical Planner, Capt. Deborah Duncan and Lt. Cmdr. Pamela Kepla-Tumlerusu were also involved in the visit.

Currently, the Expeditionary Medical Facility personnel rotate every six months. That leaves very little time to develop continuity on the equipment maintenance program. To alleviate that issue, Upchurch will spend additional time in Djibouti to assist the current bio-medical technician, Burgos, in conducting a wall-to-wall inventory and develop a maintenance and calibration program for equipment at the facility. Upchurch will also assist in developing program that will benefit future generations of expeditionary medical facility personnel and ensuring old equipment that has reached its life expectancy is replaced with newer, modern equipment.

Members of the Expeditionary Medical Facility praised the assist team with honest assessments on their equipment to assist Naval Medical Logistics Command in preparing the right equipment solutions to meet their current requirements.

Bonsu from Pirmasens also provided expertise and assistance to members of the Expeditionary Medical Facility and Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System (ERSS) in the how to procure material and equipment, and proper utilization of ECAT On-Line Catalog to order supplies and equipment.

Members of NMLC and FFC also met with the currently deployed ERSS team to discuss equipment storage and materiel solutions related to their forward deployed platform and how to best equip and manage their inventory to meet their challenging mission in that region of the world.

Naval Medical Logistics Command and FFC members took their issues for action and will ensure the right solutions are provided to this professional group so they can meet their mission requirements.

The visit proved extremely successful and provided a rare glimpse to NMLC and FFC into the daily operations of this important forward deployed medical asset.

Naval Medical Logistics Command will continue to directly engage with expeditionary medical facility leadership in the future to ensure our deployed forces get the adequate equipment and supplies to be able to fulfill their important role in this region of the world.