(August 14, 2026) --In late July 2026, Expeditionary Medical Unit 2 (EMU-2) completed its Operational Readiness Evaluation (ORE) aboard USNS Point Loma (T-EOF-15), marking the first successful ORE for a Navy expeditionary medical unit. The milestone demonstrated the Navy’s ability to rapidly project expeditionary medical capability from a medical capable expeditionary fast transport. 

Navy Cmdr. Christian Esquivel, assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command, Fort Belvoir, and practicing clinically at the Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center (ATAMMC), led the team through demanding operational scenarios that validated the EMU’s ability to establish expeditionary surgical capability at sea. 

"We will be called upon to take care of injured Sailors, Marines, and other Service Members anytime, anywhere," Esquivel said upon returning to Fort Belvoir. "Our job is to be ready, and I think we demonstrated to the Navy and the Department of Defense at large that we are a ready, capable platform." 

The evaluation demonstrated the Navy’s ability to rapidly embark a trained expeditionary fast transport and deliver forward surgical capability in support of distributed maritime operations. The accomplishment expands operational flexibility by bringing expeditionary medical capability care closer to the fight. 

This accomplishment also reflects the expertise of Navy Medicine professionals who maintain clinical proficiency in military treatment facilities like ATAMMC, while preparing to deliver expeditionary care in operational environments. The same Navy Medicine providers who provide expeditionary care in an operational environment also deliver world-class care to beneficiaries every day, maintaining clinical proficiency essential to mission readiness. 

Reflecting on the exercise, Cmdr. Esquivel emphasized that this was more than a successful training event. The evaluation demonstrated that expeditionary medical teams can rapidly establish advanced surgical capability aboard a medical-capable expeditionary fast transport, providing operational commanders with a flexible medical capability in contested and distributed maritime environments. 

Learn how EMU-2 demonstrated expeditionary surgical capability aboard USNS Point Loma during its historic afloat Operational Readiness Evaluation.

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