Sailor Story: Hospital Corpsman

[Navy for Moms Admin]

Sailor: Hospital Corpsman Petty Officer 2nd Class Leia Dibiase, Naval Hospital, Rota, Spain
Mom: Deborah Dibiase, Saugus, Mass.

As a child, Hospital Corpsman Petty Officer 2nd Class Leia Dibiase of Saugus, Mass., skipped around her parents’ house dressed in her favorite Red Sox jersey, soaking up her mother’s passion for medicine as a physician and listening to four generations’ worth of proud U.S. Navy stories.

“I was a tomboy, even as a little girl,” Dibiase says. “I was captivated by my pop’s Navy stories. I sat on the floor and would marvel at his collection of badges and decorations and was engrossed in my mom’s stories about her patients. They weren’t surprised when I told them I wanted to be a Hospital Corpsman in the U.S. Navy – they were thrilled.”

After graduating from Boot Camp in July 2000, Dibiase began fulfilling her lifelong dream at Naval Hospital Corps School in Great Lakes, Ill., where she trained in emergency medicine and clinical nursing. She flourished as she learned everything from immunizations and medical record development to taking blood samples and assisting in patient traumas.

“When I first started at the Corps School, I was nicknamed ‘Boston’ because of the way I pronounced ‘Officer’,” Dibiase says. “As a unit, we teased each other like a family – the support added to my focus and drive. I couldn’t wait to start a command overseas and get things started.”

In early 2001, Dibiase was stationed at U.S. Naval Hospital Camp Lester in Okinawa, Japan. As a Hospital Corpsman Apprentice, Dibiase soared through her personal qualifications one after another. Never a fan of quiet time, she sought out additional work – juggling training at night with teaching classes during the day. During that time, she qualified in advanced life support and as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

Dibiase also traveled to the Philippines on a medical mission that opened her eyes to health care in a developing country. In just eight days, Dibiase and a crew of 10 sailors treated more than 1,600 patients. As she stitched wounds and distributed vitamins and antibiotics, Dibiase knew in her heart that she had picked the right profession.

“The village had nothing – there was no medical care whatsoever,” she says. “Stitches, fractures, colds and cancer – you name it, they had it. Honestly, I wish I could have done more – it was a humbling experience to say the least.”

When Dibiase returned to Camp Lester, her efforts were recognized and she received her first Navy Achievement Medal for humanitarian achievements and for increasing infection control at the naval hospital.

By 2003, the once wide-eyed “Boston” had grown into her responsibilities and was promoted to Hospital Corpsman just in time for her first deployment on board aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Touring the Persian Gulf, Hawaii, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, Dibiase worked in the intensive care unit, providing medical care to more than 5,000 sailors, and treating nearly 100 patients a day.

“It was a busy time – we were in the middle of a war,” Dibiase says. “The pilots and aircrew were a top priority. They needed to be in top health, and we were there to make sure of it. I’m lucky I am such an adrenaline junkie – I found it exhilarating.”

After nearly nine months, Dibiase engaged in a back-to-back deployment on Nimitz, this time in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While touring Hawaii, Malaysia, Guam, Hong Kong and Australia, Dibiase continued to broaden her Navy experience and qualified as a Surface Warfare Specialist and an Aviation Warfare Specialist. Within months, she was promoted to Hospital Corpsman Petty Officer 3rd Class.

“My goal was to learn the ship backwards and forwards, as if I were to walk the ship blindfolded,” Dibiase says. “I wanted to show my supervisors that the sky was the limit for me, period.”

Today, Dibiase is stationed at the Naval Hospital in Rota, Spain, where she rotates unit-to-unit, from obstetrics and gynecology to oral and maxillofacial surgery. She is currently back working in her favorite unit – the emergency department.

Gone are the days when Dibiase’s colleagues called her “Boston” – today, she’s known as “Doc.”
In August, Dibiase will attend the Naval School of Health Sciences in San Diego, Calif., to train as a Cardiovascular Technician and continue to work toward her associate’s degree in biology from the University of Maryland.

“The Navy has given me an opportunity to excel professionally,” Dibiase says. “I have traveled the world, pursued my professional dream and made my family and hometown proud. My dream is to re-enlist at Fenway Park and show Boston and the Navy what they mean to me.”

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[Barb Lanier]

Thank you so much for sharing this story. I sent it on to my son who is a corpsman, also. Thanks again. Barb L.

[Linda Hedly]

Hello Debra,

How nice to read your story. My son is also a Hospital Corpsman. My husband spent 20 years in the Army so I am just learning the Navy ways - it is still so confusing to me.

My son is currently deployed for the third time but he is expected to return back to his base at Groton in Connecticut in January of 2009.

On another note, as retired Army my husband and I can travel space available on military planes. We visited Rota, Spain a few years ago. It was beautiful - your sailor is a lucky girl to have such a good assignment!

Linda