CRTS Teams Conduct Amphibious Familiarization Training Aboard USS Boxer

by Courtesy Story

19 August 2025
SAN DIEGO, CA UNITED STATES

Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command San Diego (NMRTC SD) Sailors assigned to Casualty Receiving and Treatment Ship (CRTS) Teams 2, 8, and 9 participated in an amphibious familiarization training evolution aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) as part of a multi-team exercise designed to sustain medical readiness and operational integration with amphibious warfare platforms.

The training, led by Naval Medical Forces Pacific (NMFP) and executed in coordination with NMRTC SD, is a critical component of preparing medical personnel to provide rapid, mobile, and flexible acute medical care in support of deployed Marine Air Ground Task Forces (MAGTF) and Naval Expeditionary Forces.

Prior to the shipboard phase, the participating CRTS teams completed a classroom-based didactic portion of the training at NMRTC San Diego on August 4, covering platform capabilities, mission scope, and integration expectations.

“Exercises like these are essential to building confidence and cohesion between our CRTS teams and the ship’s medical department,” said Officer-in-Charge of CRTS-2, Lt. Cmdr. Mayra Monarrez. “It ensures we can step aboard, plug into operations, and immediately contribute to patient care and mission success—whether it’s trauma, surgery, or critical care.”

During the familiarization, CRTS members toured multiple departments aboard Boxer, developed a working knowledge of patient flow and casualty triage procedures, and conducted integration drills to simulate real-world patient movement during amphibious operations. The evolution also emphasized expanded surgical capability, with a focus on orthopedic surgery, increased nursing capacity, and ancillary service integration to support prolonged care at sea.

CRTS packages are designed by Navy Medicine to augment amphibious assault ships with specialized personnel, equipping them to serve as floating Role 2 Enhanced (R2E) medical treatment facilities. These capabilities are critical to supporting combat operations and humanitarian missions alike.

"Delivering agile, scalable, trained, and certified medical units is central to our mission and the Surgeon General’s Campaign Order,” said, Commander, NMRTC SD, Capt. Elizabeth Adriano. “This training strengthens our ability to deliver surgical and critical care at sea, directly aligning with Line of Effort 2: Modernized, Operational Medical Capabilities.”

Boxer has a long history of serving as a platform for joint naval and Marine Corps operations. Commissioned on Feb. 11, 1995, she is the sixth U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name “Boxer,” honoring the brig captured from the British during the War of 1812.

The collaborative planning effort between NMRTC SD and NMFP culminated in a two-day training evolution that underscored the strategic importance of amphibious medical readiness across the fleet.

“As we train today, we prepare for tomorrow’s challenges—wherever they may come from,” Monarrez added. “CRTS teams stand ready.”

NMFP provides oversight for 10 Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Commands (NMRTC), on the West Coast and Pacific Rim that man, train, and equip medical forces, primarily in military treatment facilities. Globally, NMFP oversees eight research laboratories that deliver research expertise in support of warfighter health and readiness. Additionally, NMFP manages the Naval Expeditionary Medicine Warfighter Development Center (NEMWDC), which plays a critical role in preparing medical teams for expeditionary and operational environments.

NMRTC SD is a key enabler of operational medical readiness within the U.S. Navy. Partnered with Naval Medical Center San Diego, NMRTC San Diego focuses on training, deploying, and sustaining medically ready personnel who support our Nation’s warfighters ashore, afloat, and in expeditionary settings.