Awards
Pioneering medical researchers honored with 2026 Military Health System Research Symposium Awards
BLUF – The article highlights the work of military and civilian researchers whose innovations were recognized at the 2026 Military Health System Research Symposium Awards, honoring advances in areas including blood product use in austere environments, warfighter vision readiness, respiratory disease, cold-weather injuries, and bone stress injuries that directly improve the health and survivability of service members. For Navy Medicine, the awards underscore the critical role of research and innovation in advancing operational medicine, combat casualty care, and force readiness by translating scientific discoveries into practical capabilities for deployed clinicians and warfighters.
https://health.mil/News/Dvids-Articles/2026/08/03/news571374
Navy Nurse Awarded for Pediatric Trauma Care Research, Improvements
BLUF – Navy Cmdr. Emily Latimer, an emergency clinical nurse specialist at Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, received the Defense Health Agency Nursing Award for Evidence-Based Practice for leading research that demonstrated a pediatric-specific blood infusion system is faster and easier to use than standard adult systems, improving transfusion capabilities for critically injured children. The project highlights how nurse-led, evidence-based research can directly enhance pediatric trauma readiness, strengthen deployment preparedness for military medical teams who may treat injured children in operational settings, and improve the quality of care delivered across Navy Medicine.
2025 Dooling Award winners redefine Navy Medicine IT excellence
BLUF – The article explains that the 2025 Captain Joan Dooling Award for Information Professional Excellence recognizes Navy Medicine personnel whose innovations in information technology, cybersecurity, informatics, and information management have directly strengthened operational readiness and healthcare delivery. Honorees included Mr. Ron Harris (Civilian of the Year, Naval Health Clinic Hawaii), Lt. Cmdr. Emmanuel T. Dadzie (Officer of the Year, NMRTC Twentynine Palms), the Information Management Department at NMRTC Sigonella (Team of the Year), and Mr. Miguel Ramirez of NAMRU SOUTH (Lifetime Achievement Award). For Navy Medicine, the awards highlight the growing importance of resilient digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and health information systems as mission-critical capabilities that enable expeditionary medicine, clinical operations, and decision-making across the enterprise.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/570300/2025-dooling-award-winners-redefine-navy-medicine-excellence
Sailors are now eligible for the Mexican Border Defense Medal
BLUF – The article reports that sailors supporting operations at the U.S.-Mexico border are now eligible for the Mexican Border Defense Medal if they served at least 30 cumulative or consecutive days in designated border areas or adjacent waters in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/navy-mexico-border-defense-medal
ALNAV 023/26 – IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MEXICAN BORDER DEFENSE MEDAL
BLUF – This ALNAV establishes the new Mexican Border Defense Medal (MBDM) to recognize Navy and Marine Corps personnel who support U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations along the U.S.-Mexico border, with eligibility beginning on January 20, 2025. Service members must serve at least 30 cumulative or consecutive days in the designated border area, and those who previously received the Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) for qualifying border support after January 20, 2025, may request the MBDM instead, but cannot receive both awards for the same service. The medal may only be awarded once, has no authorized devices, and is worn immediately after the Korea Defense Service Medal in award precedence.