DVIDS – News – Navy Expeditionary Preventive Medicine Team Returns Home After Successful Mission

The Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Unit TEAM ONE (FDPMU-1), an operational medical platform made up of public health experts from Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit TWO (NEPMU-2) Norfolk, VA, returned from Krakow, Poland, July 8, 2022, after a five month deployment.

The team deployed in support of U.S. Army’s Task Force Dragon, shortly following the outbreak of armed conflict in Ukraine. While portions of Navy FDPMUs frequently deploy in support of humanitarian operations, disease outbreaks, and force health protection efforts, this was the first deployment of a full FDPMU team in support of theater combat readiness in over a decade. FDPMUs are responsible for ensuring occupational and the environmental safety of all operational personnel including water testing, toxic industrial chemical exposure surveillance, and disease surveillance.

The 13-member team was led by Cmdr. Michael Prudhomme, Preventive Medicine Physician, and was equipped with chemical and biological detection equipment capable of identifying a wide range of naturally-occurring and manmade health threats that can degrade force health and mission readiness.

“Being deployed to Poland was a great experience,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Danielle Cuello, Preventive Medicine Technician on FDPMU-1. “I enjoyed working alongside our US Army counterparts. It was an amazing experience to train with the Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) and Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) teams in a joint exercise.”

Upon arrival in Poland, FDPMU-1 conducted Occupational Environmental Health Site Assessments (OEHSA) on five forward operating bases throughout Poland. Each OEHSA included the assessment of chemical, biological, radiological, and vector-borne disease threats, providing Joint Task Force leadership with detailed analysis, and mitigation recommendations, regarding potential health risks on each base. During the OEHSAs, FDPMU-1 team members conducted sampling to ensure short-term water safety and to assess long-term drinkability. The team also conducted environmental air testing to assess for high-risk toxic industrial chemical threats to Joint Task Force personnel.

In addition to the OEHSAs, FDPMU-1 executed a 48-hour CBRNE exercise with U.S. Army personnel, participated in a Polish Constitution Day celebration, and partnered with a U.S. Army veterinarian team to execute a joint technology exchange with NATO partner Poland’s Preventive Medicine Center (Wojskowy Ośrodek Medycyny Prewencyjnej; WOMP), Krakow. During the technology exchange, FDPMU-1 met with WOMP staff and toured their laboratory in Krakow. “It was an honor meeting the WOMP team, seeing their facility and getting a glimpse into their full capabilities. I look forward to teaming up with the Polish CBRNE unit of WOMP for future joint exercises,” said Lt. Peter Mercredi, FDPMU-1 Biochemist.

During the meeting, the teams discussed each other’s technical capabilities, equipment, analysis and testing processes, and general approaches to providing preventive medicine services to their forces. It is hoped that this seminal meeting can serve as a jump-start to future joint operations and training exercises. “I thank the U.S. Navy preventive medicine team for coming to visit our facility and sharing how they perform Occupational Environmental Health Site Assessments (OEHSAs),” said Col. Konrad Tkaczewski, cardiologist and WOMP Commandant. “The information we all collect is vital for protecting all troops. Collaborating in joint base surveillance operations would be fundamental to pioneer international preventive medicine testing standards.”

In addition to building great relationships with NATO partners, the team successfully collected over 500 hours of air samples, performed more than 10 water potability tests, performed pest control evaluation of 300 sleeping tents, evaluated pest and environmental management contracts, and conducted epidemiological surveillance of communicable diseases by monitoring over 800 medical encounters. Their contributions were recognized by the Task Force Commander who awarded the team the Army Commendation medal.

“The short-fused deployment of FDPMU-1 was a significant event, in response to a real-world and real-time enemy combat threat to NATO’s eastern flank,” said Cmdr. John Owings, Officer-In-Charge, NEPMU-2. “Navy Medicine put a highly-capable and mobile preventive medicine team in Eastern Europe. This team was on-scene and ready to deliver theater-level force health protection analysis and guidance to the joint force. They delivered outstanding services to Task Force Dragon, and went a long way to enhancing our military medical relationship with a critical NATO partner. I cannot be more proud of this team!”

NEPMU-2 is a field activity of the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC), Portsmouth, Va. NMCPHC develops and shapes public health for the U.S. Navy and Marines Corps through health surveillance, epidemiology and analysis, disease and injury prevention, and public health consultation. Learn more by going to www.nmcphc.med.navy.mil. Follow NMCPHC on social media at https://www.facebook.com/NavyAndMarineCorpsPublicHealthCenter http://twitter.com/nmcphc and https://www.instagram.com/nmcphc/