Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton

Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton (NAMRU-D) is a biomedical research laboratory of the United States Navy in Dayton, Ohio. It is one of seven subordinate commands of the Naval Medical Research Center and incorporates two research divisions. The Environmental Health Effects Laboratory was established in 1959 in Bethesda, Maryland, and moved to Dayton in 1976. NAMRU-D's predecessor organization, the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory (NAMRL), dates back to 1939 when it was established as an aviation medical research unit at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Pursuant to a 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision, NAMRL began incrementally relocating to Dayton in late 2010. and was formally disestablished at NAS Pensacola in September 2011.[1] Despite being a Navy activity, NAMRU-D was set up on the grounds of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base at Dayton so it could be co-located with similar U.S. Air Force activities.

Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton
Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton logo
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Navy
TypeResearch and Development
Part ofNaval Medical Research Center
Commanders
Current
commander
Captain Walter W. Dalitsch III
Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton building at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

History

The U.S. Navy Toxicology Unit was established in January 1959 in response to air quality issues within the first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, as well as toxicity concerns about replacements for flammable hydraulic fluids. It was initially based at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and by 1965 had 22 personnel. Around that time, its building was condemned because of structural deficiencies, but due to funding difficulties for a new building they continued to occupy it through 1976, when the building was about to be lost to termites.[2] In May 1975, the Navy Toxicology Unit was incorporated into the Naval Medical Research Institute. The following year it was relocated to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, increasing collaboration with the Air Force toxicology program.[2][3]

An aviation medicine research and training unit was established in 1939 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, which in 1946 became part of the newly established Naval School of Aviation Medicine, later called the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI). In 1974 it was separated into its own independent command as the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory (NAMRL).[4][5] Multiple different research projects have been conducted at NAMRL, such as research on human performance limitations by LCDR Justin S. Brown, USN, the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device (ROBD), and the Tactile Situation Awareness System (TSAS) by Capt. Angus Rupert, USN. In June 2010, it moved to Ohio and merged with the Environmental Health Effects Laboratory to form NAMRU-D as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process.[6]

List of Commanders of Predecessor Units

Officer Date(s) of Tenure Title Unit Location
CAPT J. Siegal, MSC 1959-1971 Officer in Charge Navy Toxicology Unit, National Naval Medical Center Bethesda, Maryland
LCDR T. A. Hill, MSC 1971-1972
LCDR L. J. Jenkins, MSC 1972-1975
CDR L. J. Jenkins, MSC 1975-1980 Officer in Charge Toxicology Detachment, Naval Medical Research Institute Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio
LCDR L. L. Pitts, MSC 1980-1982
CAPT D. Uddin, MSC 1982-1987
CAPT D. A. Macys, MSC 1987-1994
CAPT K. R. Still, MSC 1994-1998
CAPT K. R. Still, MSC 1998-2002 Officer in Charge Environmental Health Effects Laboratory, Naval Health Research Center Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio
CDR W. W. Jederberg, MSC 2002-2004
CDR G. Chapman, MSC 2004-2009
CDR R. Erickson, MSC 2009-2010
Officer Date(s) of Tenure Title Unit Location
CAPT Ashton Graybiel, MC 1945-1966 Director of Research Naval School of Aviation Medicine Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
Dr. Ashton Graybiel (after retiring from active duty) 1966-1970
CAPT N. W. Allebach, MC 1970-1974 Officer in Charge Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
CAPT N. W. Allebach, MC 1974-1975 Commanding Officer Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
CAPT Robert E. Mitchell, MC 1975-1980
CAPT W. M. Houk, MC 1980-1985
CAPT J. O. Houghton, MC 1985-1988
CAPT J. A. Brady, MSC 1988-1991
CAPT A. J. Mateczun, MC 1991-1994
CAPT J. C. Patee, MSC 1994-1996
CAPT L. H. Frank, MSC 1996-1998
CAPT C. G. Armstrong, MSC 1998-2000
CAPT M. A. Anderson, MC 2000-2003
CAPT D. M. Murdoch, MSC 2003-2005
CDR D. R. Street, MSC 2005-2008 Officer in Charge Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
CDR R. G. Simmon, MSC 2008-2010

List of Commanding Officers of Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton

Commanding Officer Date(s) of Tenure
CAPT Keith A. Syring, MSC 2010-2012
CAPT C. D. Forcino, MSC 2012-2013
CAPT Jeffrey M. Andrews, MSC 2013-2016
CAPT R. L. Lee, MC 2016-2018
CAPT Matthew W. Hebert, MSC 2018-2019
CAPT Nimfa C. Teneza-Mora, MC 2019-2021
CAPT Walter W. Dalitsch III, MC 2021-Present

References

  1. Naval Medical Research and Development News, Volume III, Issue 9, September 2011, pp. 1-2
  2. National Research Council (1994). Review of the U.S. Naval Medical Research Institute's Toxicology Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. pp. 14–17. ISBN 9780309572828. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  3. "Environmental Health Effects Laboratory Command History". U.S. Naval Medical Research Center. Archived from the original on 2016-12-12. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  4. "Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory Command History". U.S. Naval Medical Research Center. Archived from the original on 2016-12-12. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  5. Mitchell, R. E. (1992-11-18). "Aviation Medicine Research: A Historical Review" (PDF). Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 24, 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  6. Coffey, Larry (2010-10-07). "Navy Medicine Activates New Research Lab in Ohio". U.S. Navy. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
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