Surgeon General
Surgeon General of the Navy – Memorial Day Message
Shipmates,
As the final Monday of May arrives, Navy Medicine joins our nation in solemn pause to remember those who died in service to our country and the families they left behind. Memorial Day is not just a marker of barbeques, summer blockbusters, televised car races, and long weekends; it’s a day dedicated to the more than one million brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
For all of you in Navy Medicine, your dedication mirrors the heroism we honor and is the greatest tribute. You serve on the front lines, not just in wartime, but EVERY DAY. You mend broken bodies, comfort grieving families, and keep our forces healthy and deployable. You carry the weight of this responsibility, knowing that your actions can mean the difference between life and death.
This Memorial Day, let us reflect on the legacy of those who came before us. Their courage and devotion remind us of the sacred trust we hold—to ensure the well-being of our warfighters, wherever they serve.
Every fallen hero has a story, and it is our duty to remember those who served and died for our freedom. Let us continue to push the boundaries of medical care, offering the best possible support to those who defend our nation.
As we honor our American heroes this Memorial Day, I extend my deepest gratitude to every member of Navy Medicine. Your unwavering compassion, expertise, and commitment are a cornerstone of America’s Navy’s strength!
SG #40, Corpsman Up!
RADM Darin K. Via
Medical Corps, United States Navy
Navy Surgeon General
Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
SG 1-Year Legacy Message: A Year of Progress, A Future of Promise
Shipmates,
A year ago today, on March 27, 2023, I assumed the helm of the Navy Medicine Enterprise. It has been a whirlwind year filled with both challenges and triumphs. Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together, but even more excited about the future of Navy Medicine.
We have made significant strides in each of our four Lines of Effort:
(1) Delivering Expeditionary Medicine (EXMED) capabilities
(2) Increasing Deployability
(3) Providing Quality Healthcare across the Naval Force
(4) Recruiting/Retaining Navy Medicine Shipmates
We have aligned our people to EXMED billets and formally stood up and deployed our two-person Patient Movement En-route Care System (ERCS) and our Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System (ERSS). We are also on track to send our first Expeditionary Medical Unit (EMU) to begin training and testing aboard EPF Flight II – USNS CODY. More EXMEDS are on their way with Secretary of the Navy naming our new Expeditionary Medical Ships: USNS BETHESDA and USNS BALBOA.
We have increased warfighter deployability by implementing conditions based LIMDU for the 175 top medical issues. This has streamlined care and reduced the number of non-deployable Sailors waiting to return to duty.
We continue our drive to deliver quality healthcare across the Naval forces, requiring all Chief Medical Officers and Operational Surgeons to complete Navy Medicine’s Quality Service Leadership Academy (QSLA). This course will soon be mandatory for all milestone billets.
We continue to instill a “Get Real, Get Better” culture by encouraging people to self-assess, self-correct, and improve the organization. Leadership’s job is to help remove barriers to success. We must be transparent up and down the chain of command and “embrace the red” so we can work together to solve problems and increase our warfighting advantage.
We published our first Navy Medicine Campaign Plan to achieve our strategic objectives of delivering agile, trained, and certified medical units for the Fleet, Fleet Marine Force, and the Joint Force. This five-year roadmap outlines our path forward to win the future fight and aligns to Navy’s Priorities of Warfighting, Warfighters and building our Foundation.
Our course is clear – and it will take the entire Navy Medicine team (blue side, green side, and our Active-Duty, Reserve, and Civilian shipmates) – to get us there. Still, your dedication and expertise will drive our success as we execute our mission.
Finally, and most importantly, as I reflect on being the “acting” and then our official SG this past year, I want to thank you for your tireless commitment to the health and well-being of our Sailors, Marines, and their families.
You are valued and you are making a difference!
Together, we will continue pushing toward our North Star, ensuring that Navy Medicine remains a beacon of light and hope for generations to come! See you in the Fleet!
SG #40, Corpsman Up!
RADM Darin K. Via
Medical Corps, United States Navy
Navy Surgeon General
Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
THANK YOU MESSAGE from the Acting Surgeon General of the Navy and FORCM
Shipmates,
As we approach this Thanksgiving holiday, FORCE and I wanted to reach out and express how grateful we are for each and every one of you. We are thankful for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to Navy Medicine and what you do every day to ensure you, your fellow Sailors, Marines, civilians and their families are healthy and ready while protecting our freedoms around the world. We hope you take time to rest and reflect on what YOU are truly thankful for on this great holiday.
Please take a moment to watch our video at the link provided here: https://youtu.be/0bMnttPxsrY
Today and always, please take care of yourself, your family, and your fellow Shipmates.
Have a safe, healthy, and Happy Thanksgiving!
V/R
RDML Darin Via
Acting Navy Surgeon General
Acting Chief, BUMED
A Holiday Message from the Acting Surgeon General of the Navy
Shipmates,
On Saturday, we will celebrate Veterans Day and honor all the men and women who have served to protect America’s interests and preserve our personal liberty.
Originally known as “Armistice Day,” it was first celebrated in November 1919 to mark the end of the First World War.
It was envisioned as a day of reflection filled with “solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with the gratitude for the victory” as remarked by President Woodrow Wilson. It was on Armistice Day in 1921, that the U.S. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery was first dedicated. Over time, it became a day to honor all patriots, past and present. In 1954, it was renamed “Veterans Day,” a day to honor all veterans from all wars and a chance to celebrate the actions, the patriotism, and most of all, the service of our veterans.
We are all part of a force ensuring that we are maintaining, training, and equipping combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and defending freedom of the seas – throughout the globe and in support of the National Defense Strategy.
We would not be who we are today in Navy Medicine without you all and what you do- every day!
Today, every veteran and their family is owed a debt of gratitude for the service and sacrifices made on behalf of our nation. Let us honor them today and remember them always!
Have a wonderful Veterans Day weekend!
V/R,
RDML Darin Via
Acting Navy Surgeon General
Acting Chief, BUMED
A Message from the Acting Surgeon General – Nautical Headings: Executive Rudder + FY24 Campaign Order + SORM
Shipmates,
With Fiscal Year 2023 now closed out, the work that began under RADM Gillingham continues unabated as we move into FY24. Because of the exceptional dedication, professionalism, and enduring commitment to the principles of “Get Real, Get Better” all our One Navy Medicine Team, together, have made tremendous strides towards achieving our North Star:
Navy Medicine will deliver manned, trained, equipped, maintained, sustained, and certified medical units to provide enduring support to the Fleet, Fleet Marine Force, and Joint Forces in high-end competition, crisis, and combat. Navy Medicine will be organized to facilitate all phases of Force Development, Force Generation, Force Preservation, and full restoration of the warfighter.
(1) Executive Rudder:
As Acting Surgeon General, I will continue on our same course and speed, focusing on four distinct Lines of Effort to achieve our North Star objectives:
1) Delivering Expeditionary Medicine (EXMEDs) Capabilities
2) Increasing Deployability
3) Providing Quality Healthcare Across the Naval Forces
4) Recruiting and Retaining Navy Medicine Shipmates
Our Expeditionary Medical (EXMED) capabilities are the platforms we use to accomplish our mission. Increasing deployability ensures we have Sailors and Marines healthy, ready and on the job, and that we eliminate any medical administrative barriers prolonging recovery. Providing Quality Healthcare Across the Naval Forces is what we do – regardless of being aboard a ship, serving in the field, or in an MTF – we owe our very best to our warfighters. Our officers and enlisted Sailors – active and reserve – and civilians, are truly our most vital assets. We must recruit and retain our Navy Medicine Shipmates – it’s our People who make the mission happen!
Learn more by reading my 8-page “Executive Rudder”: https://esportal.med.navy.mil/bumed/Documents/Rudder.pdf
(2) Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Campaign Order:
Last year, we published our first Campaign Order to prepare and posture Navy Medicine for sustained medical support in high-intensity combat operations. This year, we continue to build upon that good work, and the FY24 Campaign Order details specific actions we will take to align our people and our platforms to enhance warfighter health, wellness, and performance. The order spells out concrete and measurable tasks that advance and strengthen the Naval Medical Enterprise as we embrace a “Get Real, Get Better” mindset to achieve our North Star.
Executing these crucial actions through this order ensures we have the right people, with the right skills, training, and equipment, to prevent warfighter injury, and to save warfighter lives. Learn more about the FY24 Campaign Order by clicking here: https://esportal.med.navy.mil/bumed/CampaignOrder/
(3) Standard Organization and Regulations Manual (SORM):
As outlined in our North Star, Navy Medicine will be organized to facilitate all phases of Force Development, Force Generation, Force Preservation, and full restoration of the warfighter. To help facilitate that organization, the third strategic document is our recently signed Standard Organization and Regulations Manual (SORM), which provides straightforward descriptions of how Navy Medicine’s headquarters is structured to support our Echelon III, IV, and V Commands, the Fleet, Fleet Marine Force, and Joint Forces.
As we sail into year two of our five-year campaign plan, we are well on our way to modernizing our culture and organization. Last year, we set up our Maritime Headquarters (MHQ) and Maritime Operations Center (MOC) structures at our Echelon 2 and 3 Commands. These changes have enhanced our problem-solving ability and greatly increased our speed to decision across the entire enterprise.
We have codified these improvements with an updated Standard Organization and Regulations Manual (SORM). This document provides clear descriptions of how Navy Medicine’s headquarters is organized. The revised SORM will drive additional actions throughout command echelons as position descriptions are updated to reflect N-code structures and ensure we’re properly staffed to do our mission. To learn more about the SORM visit: https://esportal.med.navy.mil/bumed/SORM/
Each of these documents (Executive Rudder // FY24 Campaign Order // SORM) supports our nautical headings as we support the National Defense Strategy at ALL Levels of our organization
Keep up the outstanding work, thank you for what you do every day, and I look forward to seeing you in the Fleet.
V/R,
ASG
RDML Darin Via, MC, USN
Acting Surgeon General
Acting Chief of BUMED
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