Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Doan, a microbiologist at NRL-SSC has received the Joint Service Achievement Medal. Doan served a 10-week Joint preventive medicine detail in Port au Prince, Haiti, as part of Operation Unified Response.
Assigned to NRL's Marine Geosciences Division, Doan volunteered to deploy to the region after learning of a need for a microbiologist.
While in Haiti, he managed a 20-person Navy and Air Force Preventive medicine team that set a new standard for future joint preventive medicine teams. The preventive medicine units ensure DoD personnel stay healthy enough to perform their duties in the region.
To prevent the spread of disease, the team sampled water, air and soil for potential health hazards, and countered risks with various forms of preventive treatment. Doan led the planning and execution of more than 1,400 preventive medicine missions.
As the recognized malaria diagnostics subject matter expert for Joint Task Force-Haiti, he was requested by name to provide laboratory assistance to nongovernmental organization partners to access laboratory practices and capabilities, the citation states.