LEMOORE, Calif. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Michelle Ramirez, a native of Houston, Texas, provides beneficiary care and expeditionary medical readiness while serving at Hornet Health Clinic Lemoore aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jerome Fjeld |
Ramirez joined the Navy six years ago. Today, Ramirez serves as a hospital corpsman.
“I was pursuing a degree at Texas State University and I fell into financial hardships,” said Ramirez. "At the time, I talked to a Navy recruiter and he spoke about how I could continue to pursue my medical interests through the Navy and to further my education.”
Growing up in Houston, Ramirez attended Morton Ranch High School and graduated in 2013. Additionally, Ramirez graduated from American Military University in 2021.
Skills and values similar to those found in Houston are important to succeed in the military.
“I learned from my parents to always give respect no matter who the person is and to always keep your word and be a person of honor,” said Ramirez.
These lessons have helped Ramirez while serving in the Navy.
Naval Health Clinic Lemoore has a Fleet Centered Medical Home Port. The Fleet Centered Medical Home Port is an active duty-only clinic located at NAS Lemoore’s operations side in the Hornet Health Clinic. Care delivered at the Hornet Health Clinic is provided by a Primary Care Manager and is focused on the operational readiness of the aviation community.
Naval Health Clinic Lemoore provides quality health care to more than 18,000 people at NAS Lemoore, California and NAS Fallon, Nevada to ensure the Navy and Marine warfighters are medically ready to fight today, tomorrow, and beyond. The command also provides dental care and medical administrative support to Navy, Marine Corps and international students at the Naval Postgraduate School, Defense Language Institute and the Center for Information Dominance in Monterey, California.
With 90 percent 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 trained sailors and a strong Navy.
"Our mission remains timeless - to provide our fellow citizens with nothing less than the very best Navy: fully combat ready at all times, focused on warfighting excellence, and committed to superior leadership at every single level," said Adm. Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. "This is our calling. And I cannot imagine a calling more worthy.”
As a member of the Navy, Ramirez is part of a world-class organization focused on maintaining maritime dominance, strengthening partnerships, increasing competitive warfighting capabilities and sustaining combat-ready forces in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“As the Navy currently stands, we have more aircraft than any other branch of service that can deploy around the world at a moment's notice,” said Ramirez.
Ramirez has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I went out on deployment to Guam in April 2020 to provide medical support to USS Theodore Roosevelt and Naval Base Guam,” said Ramirez. "I was in charge of scheduling and providing continuous medical assessments and facilitating medication distribution to over 8,000 thousand personnel. Even working through 12 to 13 hour shifts continuously for three months, it was rewarding and satisfying knowing that all the sacrifices I went through, my shipmates were taking care of.”
As Ramirez and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“At first, I joined for only the educational benefits but since I've been in, I’ve been wanting to make a change of what a traditional sailor is,” said Ramirez. "I also wanted to be a role model for other Hispanic women and be an example to prove that we can be successful leaders in a male-dominated workforce."
Ramirez is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my husband, Sgt. Lemos Gustavo,” said Ramirez. “Not only is he my best friend, but he has been my driving force in staying competitive with me in both my professional and personal goals.”
“I hope to start a family within the next year and be a role model for my child to pursue greatness in life,” added Ramirez.