About Us

Command Leadership

COMMANDING OFFICER
Captain Aaron D. Werbel, Ph.D. 
Medical Service Corps,
United States Navy

A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Captain Aaron Werbel received his Bachelor of Science with honors in psychology from the University of Michigan (1988), and a Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology from Michigan State University (1993, 1997). He completed his pre-doctoral clinical internship at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland in 1997.

Captain Werbel assumed the duties of executive officer, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Twentynine Palms and deputy director, Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms in September 2021. Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms is a community hospital that supports the largest U.S. Marine Corps training base in the world, the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center. Offering air-to-ground live-fire training, this base is located in Twentynine Palms, California, and occupies 1,100 square miles in the Mojave Desert.

Werbel served on the board of directors of the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, where he was the director for behavioral health leading a team of over 200 staff in 14 inpatient, outpatient and partial hospitalization clinics. He was the behavioral health market service leader for the National Capitol Region-Medical Directorate facilitating standardized processes and access to care for beneficiaries in 81 clinics across 17 medical treatment facilities (MTF) in the region. He also represented the Defense Health Agency Large Markets on the Military Health System’s Behavioral Health Clinical Community implementing the principles of high reliability organizations to behavioral health in the Department of Defense Healthcare Network.

Previously, Werbel served as the chief of staff, Healthcare Operations (N3), Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) where he led a staff of 270 to ensure smooth operations in Navy Medicine’s 27 MTFs, directing policy development to guide 63,000 providers in their care for over 2.7 million beneficiaries worldwide. During this tour he also served as the interim assistant deputy chief BUMED and the Navy liaison officer to the DHA governance system in support of the Navy surgeon general and deputy surgeon general. Past assignments included: director, Midshipmen Development Center, United States Naval Academy; acting senior medical officer and ship’s psychologist, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69); behavioral health affairs officer, Headquarters, United States Marine Corps (Manpower & Reserve Affairs), Quantico, Virginia; department head, mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation program, U.S. Naval Hospital, Naples, Italy; and staff psychologist, mental health and internal medicine HIV/AIDS clinic, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.

Capt. Werbel assumed command of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Lemoore on September 8, 2023.
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
CAPTAIN Afshin Afarin

Medical Corps
United States Navy

A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Captain Afarin graduated magna cum laude from Hope College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry/Chemistry. Subsequently, he attended Indiana University School of Medicine under the Health Professions Scholarship. In summer of 2003 he reported to his first duty station with the Marines at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan as the General Medical Officer for 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Force Service Support Group. Follow on tour was to Bangor, Washington in support of the submarine community.

During his time at Bangor, Washington, he deployed with the Army as an individual augmentee from 2005-2006 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Farah, Afghanistan simultaneously serving as a Medical Officer and S1 officer. He helped coordinate medical care for his teammates, coalition team, Afghan national forces, and civilians in an austere environment while forging relationships with Afghan clinics and hospitals as a medical asset for the Provincial Reconstruction Team. He was recognized by his command for his humanitarian efforts having paved the way for first class health care for severely burned Afghan children.

Dr. Afarin commenced radiology residency at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) in 2008 and was selected by his peers and staff to become co-chief resident during his senior year. He successfully became board certified by The American Board of Radiology in 2012. CAPT Afarin would stay on at NMCP as Staff and served as Assistant Ultrasound Department Head. As a mentor, teacher, and researcher he was granted Assistant Professor of Radiology/Radiological Sciences at USUHS.

In 2013, CAPT Afarin arrived at Naval Hospital Bremerton focused on patient safety with radiation dose reduction and implementing the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force low dose CT lung cancer screening protocol. Various memberships within the Medical Executive Committee (MEC) including Vice Chair of MEC gave him critical perspective of the hospital’s health care operations prior to being promoted to interim Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

As Radiology department head and interim CMO, he navigated the department and command through the adoption and implementation of the new electronic health record, MHS GENESIS (MHSG) as an initial operating capability (IOC) site effectively collaborating with other IOC sites CMOs and mitigating potential patient safety issues in real time. His follow-on accession to Director of Clinical Support Services laid the foundational blueprint for Tri-services radiologic coverage in MHSG and successful command Tri-annual Joint Commission Survey.

He reported to Naval Health Clinic Annapolis as the command’s Chief Medical Officer in 2019. His keen focus on people, processes, and patient safety were key during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mobilized, coordinated, and executed innumerable mass COIVD-19 testing evolutions for the Brigade of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy, and implemented risk mitigation strategies to meet beneficiary medical needs. As Chief Medical Informatics Officer, the foundational work and formation of the informatics steering team led to the successful pre-deployment planning and execution of MHSG.

Captain Afarin’s military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (3), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Fleet Marine Force Ribbon, and various service awards.
COMMAND MASTER CHIEF
HMCM Eric Smith
United States Navy

Master Chief Petty Officer Eric Smith was born in Baltimore Maryland and raised in Colorado Springs Colorado. He graduated from Chesapeake High School in May 1989 but didn’t join the U.S. Navy until December 1997. Attending basic training in Great Lakes Illinois. After graduation from Hospital Corpsman School in Great Lakes, Illinois, he attended Field Medical Service School in Camp Pendleton California, his first duty assignment was with 3rd Force Service Support Group, on Camp Kinser in Okinawa, Japan. In 2004 he deployed on his first of two tours to Iraq with II Marine Air Wing where he was selected to fly Casualty Evacuation. In 2006 he attended Independent Duty Corpsman School graduating with honors. He went on to complete several commands as an 8425 Senior Medical Department Representative and advanced to Chief Petty Officer in 2009.

While stationed in Norfolk Naval Shipyard with Maritime Expeditionary Squadron Two as the Senior Medical Department Representative he deployed to Kuwait three times. He advanced to Senior Chief Petty Officer in 2013 and became the Senior Enlisted Leader (SEL) for Coastal Riverine Squadron Two Delta Company.

In 2014 Senior Chief Smith was stationed back overseas at Naval Hospital Okinawa Japan where he was the Directorate for Administration SEL and briefly held the position of acting Command Master Chief for the hospital. He served one year in Diego Garcia serving as the Branch Health Clinic (BHC) SEL before coming back to the states and getting assigned as the SEL in San Diego at Naval Medical Readiness Command 32nd street BHC. In 2021 he was selected to Master Chief Petty Officer during his tour with 3D MAW, Marine Air Group 13 in Yuma Arizona.

Master Chief Smith’s academic achievements include a bachelors degree in Healthcare studies; National Registry Emergency Medicine Technician; National Registry Paramedic. Smiths’ personal awards include Air medal (seven), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (four awards), Coast Guard Achievement Medal (with operational “O”), Fleet Marine Force Enlisted Warfare Specialist Insignia, Seabee Combat Enlisted Warfare Insignia, Expeditionary Enlisted Warfare Insignia, Combat Aircrew Wings. He currently the command master chief of Navy Medical Readiness & Training Command Lemoore. 
The Walk-in Contraceptive Services Clinic is held every Thursday from 7:30 - 11 a.m. at the main side OB/GYN window at Naval Health Clinic Lemoore.  First come, first served.