Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) celebrated the Navy’s 243rd birthday during a ceremony Oct. 12.

Before the celebration and traditional cake cutting, Capt. Adam Armstrong, NMRC’s commander, accompanied by NMRC’s Executive Officer Capt. William Deniston, inspected active duty personnel wearing their dress blues lined in formation.

“NMRC plays an important part protecting the health and in ensuring the readiness of the warfighter. Uniform inspections are one way to ensure that we uphold our proud Naval traditions and standards,” Armstrong said.

Later in the day the Sailors and civilian staff joined Armstrong in the auditorium for a ceremony to celebrate and reflect on the Navy’s centuries-long history of service to the American people.

Honoring the theme for the Navy’s 243rd birthday, “Forged by the Sea,” Armstrong welcomed attendees and thanked Sailors for their resilience, ambition, courage, and determination. According to Armstrong, Navy Medicine’s Research and Development Enterprise has played an important role in Navy history, and will continue to do so in the future.

 “Today we celebrate 243 years of service to our nation and to our freedom,” said Armstrong. “It’s essential that we take the time to appreciate the sacrifices made by the Sailors that came before us and carry on the tradition of honor, courage, and commitment.”

The Secretary of the Navy’s birthday message was then read, followed by a video greeting from Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John M. Richardson and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Russell Smith. Afterwards, keeping with a time-honored Navy tradition, the command’s youngest and oldest Sailors, Yeoman 2nd Class Johnmark Collado and Capt. Judith Epstein closed the ceremony by cutting the birthday cake with a ceremonial cutlass.

“I am honored to be able to be a part of our Navy’s 243rd birthday,” said Collado. “Given the Navy’s history and the Sailors who have come before me and those who will come after me, I’m humbled to be a small part of a much larger picture.”

NMRC will celebrate its own birthday at the end of the month, after almost eight decades of protecting the warfighter through pioneering medical research solutions.

About Naval Medical Research Center

NMRC’s eight laboratories are engaged in a broad spectrum of activity from basic science in the laboratory to field studies at sites in austere and remote areas of the world to operational environments. In support of the Navy, Marine Corps, and joint U.S. warfighters, researchers study infectious diseases, biological warfare detection and defense, combat casualty care, environmental health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, medical modeling, simulation and operational mission support, and epidemiology and behavioral sciences.

NMRC and the laboratories deliver high-value, high-impact research products to support and protect today’s deployed warfighters. At the same time researchers are focused on the readiness and well-being of future forces.

To find out more about NMRC, visit https://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmrc.

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