Home Care In Camp Lejeune, NC

U.S. Marines on a six-month deployment to Okinawa spent more than a month in South Korea rehearsing urban warfare, working with drones and skiing in the dark with their South Korean counterparts.

More than 200 members of 1st Battalion, 6th Marines trained in infantry tactics, communications and intelligence gathering on the peninsula between Nov. 29 and Saturday as part of the Unit Deployment Program, Marine Corps Forces Korea spokesman 1st Lt. Benjamin Gillman said by email Thursday.

The Marines experienced “challenging climates, realistic training scenarios, and opportunities to train alongside the [South Korean marines], a highly professional and lethal force,” Gillman said.

The battalion Marines, from Camp Lejeune, N.C., have been deployed with the 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, at Camp Schwab, Okinawa, since August. They trained on Okinawa and Guam before arriving in South Korea, according to a Marine Corps Forces Korea news release on Sunday.

Since 1977, the deployment program has rotated U.S.-based infantry battalions to Okinawa for jungle training, exercises with Japanese and South Korean allies, and other activities that support the III Marine Expeditionary Force in the Indo-Pacific.

“The exchanges between our units have given young leaders the opportunity to teach and demonstrate tactical skills, lifesaving care, camouflage methods, and mobility techniques,” Capt. Michael Downing, a company commander with the battalion, said in the release.

Last month, Marines with Charlie Company took part in Korea Viper, rehearsing military operations in urban settings at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex near the North Korean border, Gillman said.

The exercise included live-firing rifles on the range, training on small unmanned aircraft systems and clearing buildings, according to photos accompanying the release.

This month, the same Marines trained on skis in cold weather with South Korean marines at the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Pyeongchang, Gillman said. The troops practiced downhill and cross-country skiing using night vision goggles, according to the release.

Battalion Marines also worked with communications Marines based at Camp Humphreys to inventory, program and configure communication assets, Gillman said.

“Reoccurring Marine Corps exercises like Korea Viper and Korea Marine Exchange Program not only create more lethal units and Marines, they showcase our role as an essential fixture in the security architecture on the Korean Peninsula,” Gillman said.

Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Camp Lejeune graduated the first fellows from the Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Fellowship Program. During the ceremony held Dec. 19 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Lieutenant Ryan Martzall and Lieutenant Jenny Oliver received certificates of completion for the 18-month program.

The new program officially kicked off in July 2024 and consists of academics, didactics, and various clinic rotations to include time spent in anesthesia, optometry, OB/GYN and other clinics. Both Martzall and Oliver logged care for more than 1,400 patients during that timeframe.

“The EMPA Fellowship allowed me to spend 18 months training in a learner status to improve my skills. I feel much more autonomous and equipped to take care of patients that are in my care,” said Martzall.

Martzall will be headed to Okinawa, Japan with 3d Medical Battalion, while Oliver’s next stint as an EMPA will be with Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System Team 2 at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.

“This is an incredibly demanding and rigorous program, but I have learned so much. I am much more equipped to manage medically complex patients or patients who have sustained traumatic injuries,” Oliver said.

One feature of the EMPA Fellowship Program is the breadth of knowledge participants receive locally, regionally, and nationally. Rotation sites for further instruction include East Carolina University Health, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Hartford Health in Connecticut.

According to Program Director Lt. Cmdr. Carolan Whitney, the profession of an EMPA is versatile, being able to be utilized on any platform in Navy Medicine.

“EMPAs can be relied on to take care of the warfighter in many different roles, including sea, land or air, and either part of a team or independently ... we have the clinical knowledge and medical decision-making skills in acute evaluation, resuscitation, critical care and management of adult and pediatric patients,” explained Whitney. “We are capable and competent to provide care wherever Navy Medicine calls us to serve.”

The next class of fellows begins the program in the summer of 2026. Both graduates recommend application to the program for fellow Navy Medicine officers.

“The EMPA Program is rigorous and demanding, but it is fulfilling to better yourself as anEmergency Medicine provider and as a Physician Assistant,” said Martzall. “I am happy to be a plank owner in the EMPA Fellowship out of Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune.”

NMRTC Camp Lejeune is the readiness platform for Navy Medicine personnel attached to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, a military medical treatment facility on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Eastern North Carolina.

Late last week, the judges overseeing the Camp Lejeune Justice Act cases rejected the government’s attempt to block evidence from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

This evidence uses computer models to reconstruct how and when drinking water at Camp Lejeune was contaminated, especially during the 1950s to 1980s when actual water testing was limited.

The ATSDR’s simulations show that areas like Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace were contaminated with chemicals such as trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and benzene from sources like fuel leaks and a nearby dry cleaner.

Holcomb Boulevard mostly had clean water, but sometimes received contaminated water from Hadnot Point.

These models help pinpoint where and when people were exposed and support health research into issues like cancer and birth defects.

The judges said the government’s effort to exclude this evidence was inconsistent, especially since the government itself had previously relied on ATSDR’s work to link contaminated water to disease.

The court found the ATSDR’s research crucial for proving causation and criticized the government for trying to undermine its own scientific findings with weak arguments about minor technicalities.

Background:

In 1982, Camp Lejeune’s water supplies were formally tested and found to be contaminated, but the worst of Camp Lejeune’s drinking water wells remained open until 1985. Camp Lejeune residents were first notified about water contamination in June 1984 via a base newsletter, which downplayed the extent of exposure. More specific notifications about contaminated wells being shut down followed later in 1984 and 1985, but many people didn't learn the full truth until news reports in the late 1990s. The U.S. Marine Corps officially began notifying past residents in 1999 as part of a federal health study.

The contaminants at Camp Lejeune came from leaking underground storage tanks, waste disposal sites, industrial area spills and an off-base dry-cleaning firm – and testing found that three of the base’s eight water treatment facilities contained contaminants – including those that supplied water to barracks and family housing at several locations.

A study published in Environmental Health in 2014 reported samples taken at Camp Lejeune between 1980-1985 primarily contained tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene and their breakdown products, trans-1,2-dichloroethyline and vinyl chloride. Benzene was also found in the water.

According to the CDC, studies in animals have shown that long-term exposure to tetrachloroethylene can cause cancers of the liver, kidney, and blood systems, and changes in brain chemistry.

More than one million people may have been exposed at the base near Jacksonville.

Enacted 40 years after the government testing showed drinking water contamination aboard the base, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 allows people who lived, worked, or were exposed to the toxic water for at least 30 days between 1953 and 1987 to sue the U.S. government for harm caused by that exposure.

Part of the Honoring Our PACT Act, the law removed previous barriers to lawsuits and established a lower standard of proof, requiring plaintiffs to show the contaminated water was at least "as likely as not" the cause of their illness.

Victims had two years from the date President Joe Biden signed the act to sue the federal government for compensation for illnesses caused by the water contamination – a window that closed last fall.

Currently, there are more than 400,000 pending claims with the Department of the Navy, but despite that overwhelming number, not a single case has gone to trial and there have been just a few settlements.

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Usha Vance visited Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Americas schools at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River on Nov. 19, 2025, highlighting support for military families and students amid the holiday season.

The joint visit, the first for both ladies to the installations, focused on engaging with DoDEA students, service members, and their families, emphasizing the role of education in preparing the next generation for emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

Dr. Andrea Marr, Camp Lejeune Community Superintendent, praised the seamless execution and its unifying impact.

"The visit was an incredible success. Everything ran smoothly, and the energy in the schools was truly inspiring," Marr said. "Students and staff were excited and engaged, and the presence of the First Lady and Second Lady created a sense of pride and unity across our community. It was an honor and a privilege. Hosting them and their teams was both humbling and uplifting, reinforcing the importance of our work for students and highlighting our school community's strength. What stood out most was the genuine warmth and interest the ladies showed toward our students and educators—they took time to listen, ask thoughtful questions, and connect personally."

The day began at Lejeune High School, where Trump and Vance discussed AI applications in student projects. Trump highlighted her Nationwide Presidential AI Challenge, launched in August, inviting K-12 students and educators to explore the technology.

They listened to a student presentation in an advanced placement research class, where students demonstrated AI-generated videos on the effects of electronic media on sleep and adolescent well-being, and on the impact of social media addiction on self-esteem and body image.

Trump and Vance engaged with Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (MCJROTC) cadets and posed for photos with students. They joined over 150 USO personnel, families, and the school's MCJROTC program to assemble care packages for deployed service members with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Dr. Todd Carver, principal of Lejeune High School, said the activities exemplified DoDEA's blueprint in action.

"What the world captured was a visual of our DoDEA Blueprint in action—our ecosystem of staff, students, and stakeholders exemplifies what our agency provides military-connected families," Carver said. "Our Camp Lejeune family ended the day with profound respect for the school-home connection here; it was an exemplar of how powerful that connection has become. Our blueprint's layered approach—student, school, talent, and organizational excellence—shows how potent it is when all four goals align in one activity."

The group then moved to DeLalio Elementary School, where Trump and Vance participated in Thanksgiving craft-making, including turkeys from cardstock and glue, with students and families of deployed troops.

Ms. Shelia Gilliard, principal of DeLalio Elementary, reflected on the impact.

"The visit showcased DoDEA's transformative education and its role in supporting military families, highlighting the First and Second Ladies' genuine care for our children's experiences," Gilliard said. "Their inspiration will resonate for years—we were truly touched."

Students shared their excitement. Sarah, a third grader who worked on a project with the first lady, said, "My experience was exciting and happy—she made me feel great, and we made a project together. She was very kind and pretty."

Briella, a first grader who interacted with both, added, "I talked about my picture with the first lady and read in a small group with the second lady. It was fun doing Reader's Theater for them—we were on the news!"

The visit culminated in a gathering of about 1,600 service members and families in a hangar at MCAS New River.

Vance addressed the crowd first, praising the military community's dedication and its schools.

"Marines embody boldness in action, unity in purpose, and a lightning readiness to go wherever the nation requires. It's not just our Marines, though. Today, I had the privilege of spending time with your families at the elementary and high schools on base at a time when children around the country are struggling. It is so heartening to see thriving schools and engage students," she said.

"And in my own work, as I've been working on reversing the declining literacy rate and disengagement we see in schools, DoDEA schools and military families are a shining example and have been among my best partners. I am so impressed by your commitment to building strong communities and schools. Military families are truly the model for our country and for my own family," Vance continued.

Trump followed, focusing on AI's transformative potential and its role in future warfare.

"To win the AI war, we must train our next generation, for it's America's students who will lead the Marine Corps in the future," she said. "Lejeune High School demonstrated today that it's ready to lead. Its mission — educate, engage, and empower each student to succeed in a dynamic world — is more than a slogan. The school's ecosystem of educators, administrators, parents, and students is poised to drive innovation for America. They have fully embraced the Presidential Artificial Intelligence challenge, showcasing creativity and technical vision for the future of AI. Their dedication to learning and their commitment to our country are inspiring."

She acknowledged the sacrifices of military families.

"The Lejeune and the New River communities impressed me today," Trump said. "Military families are the quiet strength of our nation. Your love, patience, and courage give our service members the confidence to serve with honor."

Trump closed by expressing appreciation for the Marine Corps community.

"It has been a memorable day and an honor to meet the men and women of the United States Marine Corps," she said. "To you and your families who give so much for our country, thank you."

DoDEA operates as a field activity of the Office of the Secretary of War. It is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th-grade educational programs for the Department of War. DoDEA operates 161 accredited schools in 9 districts in 11 foreign countries, seven states, Guam, and Puerto Rico, serving over 67,000 military-connected students. DoDEA Americas operates 50 accredited schools across two districts on 16 military installations, including Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard bases in seven states, Puerto Rico and Cuba. Committed to excellence in education, DoDEA fosters well-rounded, lifelong learners, equipping them to succeed in a dynamic world.