OCTOBER 21, 2025 — October is National Physical Therapy Month, and Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune (NMCCL) is highlighting the role its physical therapy team plays in restoring function, preventing injury, and sustaining readiness among active-duty Sailors and Marines.
Each October, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) designates National Physical Therapy Month to increase public awareness of the many benefits of physical therapy. This year’s theme emphasizes how physical therapy is not just reactive but also proactive: promoting movement, resilience, and quality of life across the lifespan.
Th NMCCL Physical Therapy Clinic, a component of the Rehabilitation Services Department, offers care plans tailored to the unique demands of the Camp Lejeune military population.
“The Rehabilitation Services Department supports NMCCL’s mission of supporting warfighter readiness by providing evidence-based rehabilitation, functional restoration, and readiness-focused care that restores strength, mobility, and performance for warfighters,” said Lieutenant Commander Preston Casper, a Rehabilitation Services Sports Clinical Specialist.
The physical therapy team of 39 staff members includes five active-duty physical therapists, six active-duty physical therapy technicians, and 28 civilian and contracted staff — all focused on maintaining current evidence-based practices and responding to evolving force health needs.
“By coordinating interdisciplinary care with principal care management, orthopedics, mental health and occupational therapy, our team aims to shorten recovery time, reduce re-injury risk, and return Marines and Sailors to ‘full duty’ or an appropriate ‘limited duty’ status as quickly and safely as possible,” said Casper. “Physical Therapy [or PT] additionally provides injury-prevention programs, return-to-duty assessments, and mission-specific conditioning to optimize operational performance.”
The NMCCL Rehabilitation Department offers physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy services across multiple locations on base. The Warfighter Readiness & Rehabilitation Center, located centrally on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, is one such hub providing PT services Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. to military personnel. This center, opened in 2023, is part of the PT team’s dedication to bringing PT care in closer proximity to where Marines work and train.
The Physical Therapy Department also provides injury prevention services for both active-duty personnel as well as retirees and beneficiaries.
“We provide education and programs designed to improve resilience and reduce injury risk,” said Lieutenant Commander Laura Riebel, NMCCL Rehabilitation Services department head. “Typical programs can include post-partum physical training/education, return-to-run/sport programs, and community outreach to promote long-term health habits. Also, our staff often volunteer for the retiree fairs, community education, and present at conferences on a wide variety of topics.”
Riebel, who was named Navy Medicine’s Senior Physical Therapy Officer of the Year in 2024, recently returned from a deployment on the USNS Comfort hospital ship. Riebel and her staff helped maintain the medical readiness of the active-duty Sailors deployed in order to maintain a fully manned unit.
“The PT staff deployed on the USNS Comfort were responsible both for the humanitarian aid mission for Continuing Promise-25, as well as managing the orthopedic conditions that the shipboard personnel sustained throughout the deployment,” said Riebel. “There were cases that required urgent evaluations to allow the active-duty personnel to remain deployable.”
While injury rehabilitation remains a core mission, NMCCL’s physical therapists also focus on prevention, performance optimization and return-to-duty readiness. According to Riebel and Casper, many of the approximately 55,000 annual patient encounters conditions treated by PTs go beyond post-surgical recovery — therapists diagnose movement dysfunctions, design strength and flexibility protocols and guide service members in injury-risk reduction.
“Physical therapy functions both as a primary conservative management option and as a complementary postoperative intervention. PT is pursued as first-line conservative care for many musculoskeletal injuries to reduce or avoid the need for surgery when clinically appropriate,” said Casper. “And when surgery is indicated, PT provides pre-operative conditioning, when possible, and comprehensive post-operative rehabilitation to restore function and expedite safe return to duty. The decision pathway is individualized and informed by shared decision making among the patient, PT, and the surgical team.”
Through leadership, clinical skill, and a forward-thinking mission focus, the NMCCL PT team stands as a pillar of recovery, readiness, and resilience for the fleet.
Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune has provided more than 80 years of dedicated, passionate care for warfighters and beneficiaries at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Attached to NMCCL is Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Camp Lejeune, a readiness platform for Navy Medicine personnel.
Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Woods
Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune