Building a Sailor: Navy Aerospace Medical Technician and Aerospace Physiology Technicians Now Receiving Transferable College Credits

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Russell Lindsey

Navy Medicine Operational Training Command

PENSACOLA, Florida – Amidst the quickly changing landscape of the global job market the problem of attracting and retaining future sailors is a priority for Naval Leadership. Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Force Master Chief Larry Lynch is quoted as saying, “Sailor development and readiness are at the forefront of our success as an organization.”
Professional development for Sailors in an increasingly competitive talent market requires innovation, attention to detail, and professional insight as to what is going to be attractive to the rising stars of tomorrow not only in the fields of medicine for naval officers but also for the enlisted ranks that support and execute the mission as well. For the Aerospace Medical Technician (AVT) and Aerospace Physiology Technician (APT) programs of the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI), enlisted service members will now, at a minimum, receive accredited transferable college credits for the skills they are taught as part of their job through the College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS) at the Uniformed Services University. They will also have an associate degree path if they transfer prerequisite general education courses from another accredited institution of higher learning to CAHS.
Due to the proficiency of demonstratable skills and knowledge Sailors receive in their respective Navy training programs; each program is now awarded transferrable credits for an associate degree path and is aimed to help prepare them for life after the military in addition to keeping enlisted service members on pace in an ever-changing job market requiring both greater knowledge and higher credentialing. Each program’s awarding of credits and degree paths is a great step forward towards retainment initiatives for the Navy and Navy Medicine.
“Honestly, it’s a wonderful surprise to find that your hard work and study get you something real at the end,” said Hospital Corpsman Second Class Jocelyne Palacios-Martinez.
Martinez is a recent graduate of the APT program and was happy to learn about the recent changes to the recognized credits and stated that she herself wanted to pursue higher education because of the boost she is getting towards her degree.
“I had always considered going to get my degree but thought I would have to wait until after I got out of the military to really make the most of it, but this definitely helps drive my desire to go further,” said Palacios-Martinez.
You might be asking yourself, well what is an AVT or APT, what do they do, and why is this important? Put simply both enlisted designations are technicians and assist their officer counterparts of Naval Flight Surgeons and Aerospace Physiologists respectively. They are the hands of the officers and also administratively assist them in performing their duties which for a Navy flight surgeon can range from providing care to pilots and aircrews in an operational environment to mishap investigation, and for Naval Aerospace and Operational Physiologists includes survival training to pilots and aircrew as well as educating about the physiological effects on the human body in the extreme environments of changing high altitudes.
While receiving college credit for work you are already doing isn’t a new concept for the military or for the field of Navy Medicine, the expansion of programs that are now recognized by USU has grown in recent years due to the advancements made in the respective fields and the desire to retain a capable and qualified workforce within the military. The AVT program became affiliated with CAHS on June fifth of this year and the APT program became affiliated on July ninth. The graduating classes in mid-July mark the first classes to receive the credit from CAHS.
“Honestly this is great, our Corpsman have always been stellar and always have been the best at what they do, now they are just getting some well-deserved recognition for the work they’ve put in to get there,” said Amy Hendrix, Instructional Systems Specialist for the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute. “It sets our Sailors up for success and that’s a win no matter how you look at it.”
The Navy boasts impressive career fields and very specialized technicians across the board and despite the excellent training given to its Sailors, when many separate as veterans and seek out jobs that may even be in the same filed, the lack of professional credentialing equivalent reflecting their level of skill make it tough to compete for jobs. As another barrier many service members, not just Sailors, are completing scholastic achievements secondary to their already demanding schedules or change of stations. USU aimed to solve this by allowing service members to transfer credits from their CAHS affiliated Navy training and any accredited college credits from outside institutions to complete an associate degree from CAHS. Sailors will have five years or until they leave the military to complete their degree through CAHS. If they do not complete their associates, Sailors will have accredited transferrable college credits that they can transfer to the institution of their choice. This allows for more flexible degree completion than traditional colleges while providing full accreditation.
Currently there are 23 programs offered in the military that are affiliated with CAHS. These programs are either awarded college credits, have an associate degree path or a bachelor degree path depending on the program. The AVT and APT program are the latest addition to this group of specialized medical programs and the list is ever expanding as each branch of service moves to modernize its educational practices.
While new graduates of the program receive transferrable credit, these CAHS college credits and degree paths are not retroactive, meaning Sailors who completed these programs prior to CAHS affiliation will not receive these credits and degree paths.
“It’s a great addition for our new guys and something I wished I had when I came through,” said Hospital Corpsman First Class William Frye, APT instructor for NAMI. “The course helped prepare me and I went on to working on my own degree, but it makes me glad that my Sailors will have this opportunity to succeed.”
The AVT and APT courses are taught within the academic’s department of NAMI, a detachment of the Navy Medicine Operational Training Command (NMOTC) and offer the courses as naval enlisted code (NEC) for the two specialties. Each of the specialties support Navy Medicine’s operational platforms and training pipelines for aviation and expeditionary forces.
While the curriculum of each specialty changes over time to keep the Sailors better able to meet the needs of the fleet and warfighters that rely on them it is reassuring to those going through the course that there are opportunities to advance their careers both in and post military, while simply using the training they use serving the country every day.
“It makes me feel good knowing an opportunity to get a degree exists and even though I want to stay in the military for now, it’s great to know I have something to show for all the hard work I’ve put in,” said Palacios-Martinez.