Soldiers seriously wounded in Iranian drone strike tell AP the military’s medical system failed them
BLUF – Nine U.S. soldiers wounded in the March 1 Iranian drone strike at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait—which killed six troops and injured dozens—told the Associated Press that inadequate mass-casualty planning, evacuation problems, administrative errors and delayed recognition of serious injuries, particularly traumatic brain injuries, left them struggling to obtain appropriate treatment, while the Pentagon maintains that wounded personnel received appropriate evaluations and care. For Navy Medicine, the experience highlights critical requirements for large-scale combat operations: forward trauma capability, rehearsed casualty evacuation plans, reliable patient tracking and medical documentation, early TBI screening, and seamless continuity of care from the point of injury through Landstuhl and stateside specialty treatment.
Stay or Go Tool to Review
Dr. Mitch Day (an Active Duty Internist/Flight Surgeon) built a tool called Stay or go? that estimates Navy physician pay and compares military and civilian compensation, including retirement benefits:
As he approaches his own decision point, he developed this interactive tool for a graduate class project to explore how compensation, civilian opportunities, and pension eligibility affect the financial trade offs of staying in Navy Medicine versus separating. It’s as much an emotional decision as a financial one, and he hopes the tool helps clarify one part of that choice. He’d welcome feedback on its assumptions and usefulness.
Please send feedback to jday6@hawaii.edu.
USS Abraham Lincoln Returns to San Diego After 10-Month Combat Deployment
BLUF – The USS Abraham Lincoln returned to San Diego following a 321-day deployment during which its carrier strike group spearheaded U.S. naval combat operations against Iran, demonstrating the Navy’s ability to sustain prolonged, high-tempo operations far from home. For Navy Medicine, the deployment highlights the importance of sustained medical readiness, resilient logistics, behavioral health support and post-deployment recovery for sailors returning from extended combat operations.
Naval Special Warfare Command failed to identify, treat TBI in service members: Watchdog
BLUF – A Defense Department Inspector General investigation found Naval Special Warfare Command repeatedly failed to identify, evaluate and provide follow-up care for Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen with potential traumatic brain injuries, including 634 TBI exposure reports from 2020–2026 without a single documented MACE-2 concussion assessment or required follow-up appointment. Navy Times For Navy Medicine, the findings highlight major gaps in concussion screening, corpsman protocols and continuity of care—particularly for repetitive wave-impact injuries—and the IG recommended standardized TBI assessment criteria and stronger mechanisms to ensure required medical follow-up occurs despite operational pressures.
Navy Medicine Stories – Ep. 3: The Science of Seeing, the Art of Healing
BLUF – In this episode of Navy Medicine Stories, we sit down with U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Shokoufeh Shadabi, who is preparing for medical school through the Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program at the Uniformed Services University. Pursuing her lifelong passion for fine art, her micro-miniature historical paintings the size of postage stamps have earned places in the Salmagundi Fine Art Club in New York City, the Naval History and Heritage Command, and the permanent collection of the National Veterans Art Museum. Tune in as she shares her miliary service, medical aspirations and artistic devotion as a unified calling dedicated to the care, readiness and well-being of service members and their families.
https://www.dvidshub.net/audio/94138/navy-medicine-stories-ep-3-science-seeing-art-healing
For This Navy Doctor, Studying Death Is Part of Serving the Living
BLUF – Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Emerson Maniwang, a 2019 USU graduate and former Seabee battalion surgeon, is completing a forensic pathology fellowship at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to develop expertise in determining causes of death, identifying remains and recognizing mortality trends that can inform public health and prevention. For Navy Medicine, his training demonstrates how forensic pathology can improve combat casualty care and force protection by identifying preventable deaths and potentially survivable battlefield injuries while preparing medical teams for casualty identification and mortality analysis during large-scale combat operations.
https://news.usuhs.edu/2026/10/for-this-navy-doctor-studying-death-is.html
Navy Medicine Force’s Focus – 1 OCT 2026
BLUF – The Office of the Navy Medicine Force Master Chief has released a publication designed specifically for active duty and reserve Hospital Corpsmen across the fleet and operating forces. Developed directly from fleet feedback, the two-page newsletter serves as a direct line of communication from the Force Master Chief to provide actionable career management tools and highlight operational excellence within the Hospital Corps rating.
Navy exceeds recruiting goal with over 45,000 new sailors
BLUF – The Navy exceeded its fiscal 2026 recruiting goal by accessioning 45,112 new sailors, marking the third consecutive year it met or surpassed its target and leaving another 13,508 sailors in the Delayed Entry Program for fiscal 2027. For Navy Medicine, the continued recruiting gains should strengthen the overall personnel pipeline and fleet readiness, although the article does not provide specific recruiting numbers for Hospital Corpsmen or other medical specialties.
From The Vault: WAVES Scrapbook
BLUF – Michael Rhode, the archivist for Navy Medicine, highlights a historical scrapbook kept by Dental Technician Adeline Angela Howard Oliver during an episode of the “From the Vault” video series, Oct. 2, 2026. The series, produced in commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, explores 250 years of U.S. Navy and military medical history by unlocking the Navy Medicine archives to highlight the enduring courage, innovation, and legacy of care provided by military medical professionals.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1024536/vault-waves-scrapbook
Mr. Hegseth’s Trifecta – The Slash and Burn Approach
BLUF – Retired Navy Capt. John Cordle critiques three recent Pentagon personnel policies—testing prospective flag officers, cutting general and flag officer billets by 20%, and ending tenure for civilian service-academy faculty—arguing that the first is unlikely to have much effect while the latter two risk unintended consequences for readiness, retention, military families and the quality of officer education. John Cordle For Navy Medicine, the flag-officer reductions could have downstream effects on O-6 and O-5 leadership billets and organizational readiness, while Cordle’s broader concern is that rapidly implemented personnel changes without clear measures of effectiveness may ultimately weaken the force.