NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy – Rear Adm. Guido F. Valdes, commander, Naval Medical Forces Pacific (NMFP), visited U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) EURAFCENT and U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Sigonella on February 26 and 27.

Valdes toured NAMRU SOUTH headquarters and addressed command staff at a hybrid all-hands call, in which members of NAMRU EURAFCENT stationed at sites in Cairo, Egypt, Accra, Ghana and Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti were able to listen in virtually and ask questions.

"That day-to-day grind of what people are doing, all the traveling, all the meetings, all the research proposals, the funding, all the contracts, that's a lot of work,” observed Valdes. “That grind, it's not something that gets a lot of attention. I commend you for all that you’re accomplishing.”

Valdes extended command awards to Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Kirk A. Young and Lt. Daniel J. Silberger, as well as to civilian employees Dr. Naiki Attram and Marian Mikhail, for their outstanding service to the command mission.

"The Admiral’s visit was a great recognition of the incredible team we have at NAMRU EURAFCENT,” said Blackman, “and of the key role our cutting-edge research plays to enable better Force Health Protection strategies.”

Valdes also visited with NMRTC Sigonella leaders and staff, holding an all-hands call and one-on-one networking sessions with hospital staff physicians. Valdes recognized Lt. Cdr. Ronald Fenton, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Oscar Olivares and Giuseppe Licari for their dedication to mission success and exemplary care of beneficiaries.

NMFP is Navy Medicine's regional command in the Western Pacific. NMFP provides care to more than 675,000 beneficiaries, comprised of active-duty personnel, retirees and their family members. The regional headquarters is located at Naval Base San Diego, with Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Commands throughout the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, Japan and Guam.

NAMRU EURAFCENT’s mission is to study, monitor and detect infectious disease threats of military and public health importance in Central, European and Africa Commands. Originally established in 1946 in Cairo under the name NAMRU-3, the command moved its headquarters to Sigonella in 2019.