MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Hospitalman Rigel Kent Quimbao Villaruel serves the U.S. Navy at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Rota, Spain. Villaruel’s mother lives in Jacksonville, Florida.
Villaruel earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of the Philippines in Visayas in 2016. With medical training and education in mind, Villaruel began a career in Navy Medicine.
“Service has always been deeply ingrained in me through my training and experiences as a scholar of public health and a doctor of medicine,” Villaruel said. “My education emphasized not only clinical competence, but also the responsibility to serve populations and placing mission above self. Navy Medicine represented the opportunity to practice medicine with greater purpose — serving those who serve a greater mission.”
Villaruel came from a family with many serving in the military.
“With a brother currently serving in the Navy in Japan and a sister in the Air Force who has deployed to Qatar, caring for other service members feels like caring for my own family,” Villaruel said. “I also joined for my mom and brother, hoping to safeguard the very people who safeguard my families I left back home. That personal connection makes the mission of Navy Medicine especially meaningful to me.”
Lessons from Jacksonville continue to shape Villaruel’s service.
“I value honor and integrity — doing the right thing the right way, even when no one is at the right time in the right place and with the right person or even if no one is watching,” Villaruel said. “I value responsibility — showing up for the people who depend on me. I value discipline — staying consistent, focused and resilient. I value excellence with humility — performing at a high level while recognizing that teamwork, mentorship, and constant improvement matter more than individual credit.”
As a hospital corpsman, Villaruel supports Navy missions worldwide.
“I currently serve as a hospital corpsman at medical homeport in Rota, Spain, where I support our team in providing quality health care to service members, veterans, civilian employees and their families,” Villaruel said. “My work ranges from patient intake and triage to administering immunizations, performing readiness screenings, managing chronic-care ambulatory follow-ups and assisting providers with procedures and acute visits. A core part of my role is making sure sailors and other service members stay medically ready and able to meet the demands of deployment.”
Working in Rota, Spain, Villaruel understands what Navy Medicine does to contribute to the Navy’s readiness.
“Working overseas has shown me how essential corpsmen are to the Navy’s mission,” Villaruel said. “In Rota, we support forward-deployed forces, visiting commands and families stationed far from home. By keeping them healthy, we help keep the mission moving. Seeing how medical readiness directly supports global operations has strengthened my commitment to continue serving within Navy Medicine.”
Villaruel, who has served in the Navy for more than a year, has witnessed Navy Medicine’s impact firsthand.
“I can clearly see the impact my team makes on the everyday lives of our patients,” Villaruel said. “Some of the moments that stayed with me were not the procedures or treatments, but simply listening — giving patients a space to be heard, whether they are service members preparing for or returning from deployment, or loved ones waiting for someone to come home. Those small moments reminded me how much Navy Medicine matters. Sometimes what people need most is reassurance, connection and someone who truly cares. Being part of that has shown me the real impact we make.”
According to Navy officials, NMRTC’s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high-quality healthcare services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training and research.
NMRTC Rota serves as a force multiplier in Navy Medicine’s strategic global medical support mission throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East while also supporting operational readiness and maintaining a strategic repository of expertise at the Naval Hospital Rota Military Treatment Facility within the Iberian Peninsula.
Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below and above the sea and ashore.
This year, the Navy is commemorating its contribution to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence.
According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity.
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
When reflecting on their Navy career, Villaruel is proud of the journey.
“My proudest achievement so far in my Navy career is simply being here — joining the Navy and earning the title of hospital corpsman,” Villaruel said. “Every step, from boot camp to corps school to my first command, pushed me to grow in ways I never expected. I’m proud of the moments that tested me and the times I proved to myself that I could show up, adapt and keep going. But most of all, I’m proud of being given the opportunity to serve.
Villaruel serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“For me, wearing the uniform is a reminder that every day, my actions reflect not just on me, but on the Navy, my team and the people who trust us to protect them,” Villaruel said. “Serving in today’s Navy means being adaptable, dependable and ready to support the mission wherever it takes us. When I put on the uniform, I’m reminded of my own family back home and the service members who protect them, and it motivates me to do my best.”
Villaruel has had many memorable experiences while stationed overseas.
“I have been able to travel around Spain and France during my tour, which has been one of the most memorable parts of being stationed overseas,” Villaruel said. “Getting to explore different cultures, try new food and see places I only used to see online has been an experience I have never expected to have this early in my career in the Navy. In the rest of my tour, I am looking forward to traveling across more of Europe and making the most of this opportunity.”
Villaruel understands that Navy Medicine is different from civilian health care.
“For me, Navy Medicine and civilian medicine share the same core purpose: caring for people,” Villaruel said. “A life saved is a life saved, no matter the uniform. What feels different in the Navy is not the medicine itself, but the context. In the Navy, the people we treat carry responsibilities that affect the mission, shipmates and even their families far from home. The work feels more connected to something larger, but the compassion and commitment are the same. Whether in a civilian clinic or a Navy platform, my goal does not change — to help people, ease their worries and give them the best care I can.”
Villaruel encourages others interested in a career in health care to consider Navy Medicine.
“I would encourage someone back home to consider Navy Medicine by sharing how meaningful the work truly is,” Villaruel said. “Here, you’re not just doing medical tasks — you’re taking care of the people who protect others, and every bit of effort directly supports the mission. It’s a career where what you do every day matters. I’d also tell them how much they’ll grow. Navy Medicine pushes you to develop discipline, confidence and leadership, and it gives you training and experience you can’t get elsewhere. You become part of a team that feels like family, especially when you’re far away from home. Most of all, I’d tell them Navy Medicine gives you purpose. If they’re looking for a path where they can serve, learn and make a real impact on people’s lives, it’s a career worth considering.”