Since 2005, the U.S. Navy has hosted Navy Weeks in cities around the country without a significant Navy presence to educate the American public on its capabilities and relevance to national security. It brings Sailors from all around the globe to conduct outreach and immerse themselves in these communities for a week.
For some of these Sailors, it could also be a type of homecoming.
“This is where I went to Dental School on the Health Professions Scholarship Program,” Rear Adm. Walter Brafford, commander of the Naval Medical Forces Development Command and chief of the Navy Dental Corps, said. “It’s great to be back and to share my experiences of all the things I’ve done in the Navy and the opportunities the Navy provides.”
During this year’s Navy Week, Brafford and a group of Naval Medicine officers and corpsmen visited several schools in the Kansas City area November 11 – 17, 2024, to make connections and share what it’s like to be a health care professional in the Navy.
One of the schools on the list was the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s School of Dentistry.
“I graduated from here in 1996 and joined the Navy as a dental officer shortly after on July 7,” he said. “It’s been an awesome ride. I’ve met a lot of great people, made some really good friends.
Story by Malcolm McClendon
Naval Medical Forces Development Command
The UMKC representatives on the tour included:
- Dr. Derek Williams, Lieutenant Commander, US Navy, & Clinical Associate Professor
- Dr. Eric Gottman, Interim Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs
- Mr. Richard Bigham, Assistant Dean for Student Programs
- Third-Year Student Doctor Quinten Reasoner, ENS US Navy Dental Corp
Navy personnel visiting the UMKC Health Science Campus included:
- Rear Admiral Walter Brafford, Commander, Naval Medical Forces Support Command & Chief, U.S. Navy Dental Corps
- Native of Southwest Missouri
- Graduate of UMKC dental school
- Captain Alison Castro, Deputy Chief, U.S. Navy Nurse Corps
- CAPT Shauna O’Sullivan
- Summa Cum Laude graduate from KCU Medical School (1999-2003)
- CAPT Calvin Suffridge, Deputy Chief, U.S. Navy Dental Corps
- CDR Bryan Pyle, U.S. Navy Medical Corps Service Policy & Practice Officer
- Master Chief Hospital Corpsman Philip Jean-Gilles, Command Master Chief, Naval Medical Research Command
- LT Zachary Pommer, RDML Brafford’s Aide
- Mr. Malcom McLendon, Naval Medical Forces Support Command Public Affairs Officer
Our sincerest appreciation to all our students, staff, faculty, alumni and all service members for their service in the US military!