Operation Sunscreen 2024

Building on last year’s success at the MCAS Miramar Air Show, OSS has significantly expanded its outreach efforts this year. From September 20–22, 2024, OSS hosted a major skin cancer screening event at the Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Over the course of this three-day event, the OSS team, along with volunteers from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, and the local Virginia Beach community, performed over 400 skin cancer screenings. Additionally, countless ounces of sunscreen were distributed to active-duty service members, veterans, and their families and friends attending the air show.

The momentum didn’t stop there. The following weekend, the OSS leadership returned to San Diego, California, for the second iteration of OSS at the MCAS Miramar Air Show. This event exceeded expectations and last year’s success! The weekend commenced with a dedicated team from Naval Medical Center San Diego conducting screenings for the entire Blue Angels squadron, including the Blue Angels themselves. Over the three-day event, a team of volunteer physicians, corpsmen, and civilian dermatologists performed more than 800 skin cancer screenings. In total, an estimated 60 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer and 10–15 melanomas were identified.

Looking ahead, OSS plans to expand further in the coming year. We aim to host screening events not only at our established locations but also at air shows near Washington, D.C., and Houston, Texas. To accomplish this, we rely on the continued support of our national network of active-duty and retired military dermatologists, as well as our local community partners.

If you are based in these areas and interested in contributing to this important mission, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at militaryderm@gmail.com.

Thank you for your ongoing support of Operation Sun S.C.R.E.E.N. Together, we can make a lasting impact on skin cancer prevention and education.