Acting SG 4th of July Message
Shipmates,
On July 4th, 1776, thirteen American colonies signed the Declaration of Independence. Ten months before that momentous document was signed, the Continental Navy was born, and their ships became an extension of American influence and power around the world. On the decks of those wooden ships stood Sailors trained to take the lives of those that threatened America’s interests and territorial sovereignty and those charged with saving the lives of their comrades in arms. Therefore, Navy Medicine was forged by the sea. From the beginning, Navy Sailors have been saving lives and treating the physical and emotional wounds of war for 247 years.
Today, Navy Medicine is a global force for good. Our Medical, Dental, Nurse, Medical Service, and Hospital Corps along with our valued civilians provide the highest quality of care to Sailors, Marines, and their families here at home, overseas, and while deployed to the pointy tip of the spear. Our scientists are pioneering breakthroughs in physiology, microbiology, biomedical engineering, psychology, epidemiology, and using artificial intelligence to help diagnose and treat diseases. Our ability to provide competent medical personnel, deployable platforms, and exceptional care is foundational to America’s ability to defend our interests, maintain territorial sovereignty, and honor commitments to our maritime partners around the world.
On behalf of a grateful nation, I want to extend a heartfelt debt of gratitude to all our active-duty, reserve, civilian, and contract personnel serving on expeditionary medical platforms, conducting cutting-edge medical research for our warfighters, and working in military medical treatment facilities around the world for the lifesaving work they do. All of us in Navy Medicine are doing work that has a real and tangible impact on the lives of our service members, their families, and humanity.
I wish you all a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July. Thank you for what you do each day for Navy Medicine, the Navy, and this Nation.
V/R,
RDML Darin K. Via
Medical Corps, United States Navy
Acting Navy Surgeon General
Acting Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Specialty Leader Spotlights
As part of a multi-pronged approach to recruitment and retention, the BUMED PAO is producing specialty leader spotlight videos. Please watch, share, and use to motivate our force!
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/888650/navy-medicine-specialty-radiation-oncology
They’ll be appearing every few hours on NM’s Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@USNavyMedicine/videos
https://www.flickr.com/photos/navymedicine/albums/72157715033742138 is where they will be on Flickr.
https://archive.org/details/usnavybumedhistoryoffice?query=Navy+Medicine+Specialty+Leaders&sort=-publicdate will pull them up on the Medical Heritage Library.
Reminder to Graduating Residents – You are Now Eligible for GMO Incentive Pay
Congratulations to those who graduated residency. Medical Corps officers who complete initial residency on active duty are eligible for the General Medical Officer (GMO) Incentive Pay (IP) the day after completing residency. For those who complete residency while not on active duty (NADDS), they are eligible on they day they report to their permanent command.
This means you need to go to your Special Pays coordinator, if you haven’t already, and apply for the GMO IP. It increases you from a residency IP of $8,000 per year to the GMO IP of $20,000 per year.
Finance Friday Articles
- Despite all the nay-saying, 60/40 is here to stay
- For Safety’s Sake
- House Defense Bill Advances 5.2-Percent Basic Pay Raise
- How to Spend More in Retirement
- Senators back 5.2% pay raise for troops, but not other salary boosts
- Spending Tip: Don’t
- The Moderate-Income Physician
- Thrift Savings Plan: Taking the Good with the Bad
- What the rapid rise in rates could mean for investors
Navy Representative to AMSUS (Society for Federal Health Professionals) – O5/O6 in NCR
BUMED is seeking an officer (0-5/0-6) to serve as programmatic lead for the Navy and Marine Corps to oversee, organize, and support the 2024 AMSUS Annual Meeting, February 12-15 at National Harbor, Maryland.
Duties include attending virtual meetings with AMSUS, fellow services, DHA, USU, etc., working with the SG’s Office on the plenary and breakout presentations, and assisting with award and poster session submissions.
If interested and have questions, please get in touch with CAPT Mark Herwitz (incumbent, contact in the global).
Department of Defense Approves Policy to Reimburse Pet Expenses Due to a Permanent Change of Station
The Department of Defense has approved a new policy to cover pet travel expenses, like pet shipping or quarantine fees, incurred by Service members during a Permanent Change of Station (PCS). As of January 1, 2024, military Service members going through a PCS within the continental United States can be reimbursed up to $550 for one household pet, either cat or dog, and up to $2,000 for moves to or from a location outside the continental United States to cover costs related to the transportation of a pet.
The Services estimate that this new allowance may be used by an estimated 227,000 Service members. Historically, Service members paid the majority of out-of-pocket expenses to transport pets when assigned to a new duty station. This policy reduces that financial burden while recognizing the important role a pet plays in a military family’s household.
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 