MILLINGTON, Tenn. — Lt. Amber Campaign, a native of Fredonia, New York, who is assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Camp Pendleton, California, was recently awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal in recognition of her performance during deployment on Pacific Partnership 2025.
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| Lt. Amber Campaign (left) receives the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal from Capt. Virginia Damin, commander of NMRTC Camp Pendleton, during the monthly command awards ceremony on Jan. 23, 2026. |
Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster response mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific.
Campaign is a 2011 graduate of Fredonia High School. Additionally, Campaign earned an associate degree in technical studies from Excelsior College in 2014, a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from Excelsior College in 2017, a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Suffolk University in 2022 and a second master’s degree in business analytics from Suffolk University in 2023.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Fredonia.
“I learned the invaluable lesson of cherishing people and community,” Campaign said. “There is no stronger sense of community than what I grew up with in Western New York. Even after 13 years since I left, I carry the mindset of an open heart and create strong bonds with those I serve with, motivating me through the hardships of deployment and the longing for my family and hometown.”
Campaign has served in the Navy for 12 years, spending nine years as an enlisted sailor and attaining the rank of electronics technician first class before commissioning into the Medical Service Corps.
“While attending college, I was searching for direction, hoping to find a path that would allow me to travel and see the world,” Campaign said. “A timely call from a Navy recruiter presented a unique opportunity: travel, continue my education, and have the honor of serving my country.”
Today, Campaign serves as the department head for platform readiness with NMRTC Camp Pendleton, which carries out its mission to maximize warfighter performance and enhance the readiness of the medical force.
NMRTC Camp Pendleton is comprised predominantly of military members who support Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. The command supports overall Navy and Marine Corps readiness by training military command members to ensure they are ready to deploy and provide medical support to various operational Navy and Marine units deployed, ashore or at sea.
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.
Campaign has had many opportunities to accomplish achievements while serving in the military.
“I’m proud of my commitment to continue my education while on active duty,” Campaign said. “Throughout multiple deployments and field operations, I stayed true to that promise, completing three degrees. This dedication opened the door for me to commission as a naval officer, giving me the privilege of leading new sailors, helping them grow their skills and showing them the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Campaign serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means giving to those around me, grounded in the understanding that no mission is accomplished alone, it’s always about the sailor to your left and right,” Campaign said. “This bond extends beyond the mission; I’ve experienced firsthand that even when I felt I couldn’t continue, a helping hand was always there to pull me through.”
Campaign is grateful for family and friends who helped make a Navy career possible.
“I am grateful to my parents for nurturing my persistence into the determination I have today,” Campaign said. “My grandparents for their loving guidance, knowing I will eventually come to the conclusion they wanted. I also want to thank the Narraway family for giving me the courage to take that first step into the military, a path that has become my life.”
More information is available here: https://www.navy.mil/navy-250/.