Spotlighting the Career of CDR Tina Trombley
January 2021
CDR Tina Trombley commissioned into the USPHS in 2012. Prior to commissioning she had a rewarding career serving her country and others as a hospital Corpsman in the Navy. During this time she was stationed with the Marines and had the opportunity to jump out of helicopters, set-up field hospitals, and experience other fun, yet challenging aspects of being a Corpsman. However, she knew she wanted to go back to school to become a nurse.
After graduating from nursing school, she continued serving fellow veterans at multiple Military Treatment Facilities. While working at Camp Lejune Naval Hospital, she decided to apply to the USPHS. CDR Trombley thought the USPHS would be a great fit because it gave her the opportunity to protect her country, care for the underserved, and wear the uniform again. Her first assignment was at Walter Reed Medical Center as a nurse case manager for the Department of Defense (DoD) at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, where she was the subject matter expert charged with helping wounded warriors with traumatic brain injuries and their families through their specialized treatment. She coordinated treatment planning for 20 medical specialties and ensured a warm hand-off to the service member’s home station. She then became a Senior Public Health Analyst with HRSA in the Division of Community HIV/AIDS Programs where she ensured quality HIV clinical care to more than 15,000 people living with HIV and AIDS.
Currently, CDR Trombley is the DoD/DHHS Mental Health Senior Program Manager for the Defense Health Agency. She oversees strategic efforts and mission priority placement of Public Health Service officers in the areas of mental health and traumatic brain injury within the DoD. CDR Trombley establishes strategic mental health positions and Commissioned Corps officer placements across the DoD and coordinates long-term assignments of Commissioned Corps officers with the DoD.
CDR Trombley believes her most rewarding experiences serving in the USPHS have been deployments. She has deployed for the National Independence Day Celebration in 2012, Ebola Response Task Force in 2015, Flint Michigan Water Crisis in 2016, response efforts for Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017, Presidential Inauguration in 2017, Hurricane Michael response in 2018, and most recently for the COVID 19 response in 2020. As a staff nurse during the Ebola response she cared for suspected and confirmed Ebola patients on the Monrovia Medical Unit team for 3 months. She also worked alongside RADM Lushniak, which is one of the highlights of her career. CDR Trombley also considers her Flint Michigan deployment one of the most life-changing experiences of her career. She deployed to Flint Michigan for over a month and worked with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health department staff. During that time, she tracked down patients in their neighborhoods and homes to answer their questions, give them educational materials, and coordinate needed resources. She found this population was difficult to reach due to their distrust of the government. However, the people of Flint were very happy the team was there, with one mother stating “No one has ever cared that much” in response to CDR Trombley’s team deploying to help them. CDR Trombley was honored to know that their work had truly made an impact.
When asked about work-life balance, she said, “that will always be a struggle.” She credits her husband, daughter (that recently started college to become a pilot), and entire family for being so supportive when she is called to deploy. CDR Trombley said one key is to “always be ready and stay packed” for deployments, which helps keep the stress down.
CDR Trombley also reiterated that serving can be stressful but has enjoyed her time in the USPHS. She stated that “we, as nurses, should rely on each other when needed”. She enjoys being a confidant and supporting her fellow service men and women stating, “it is okay to not have a good day, but reaching out to your peers and family is key.” Through her love of helping others, she continues to enjoy serving and being a nurse. CDR Trombley stated, “I can’t imagine being anything other than a nurse…my life’s journey is caring for others.”
