Military medics

[jeremy]

My dad was a Corpsmans in the Vietnam era. I've asked him repeatedly about his experiences, but about the only thing he says is he got a lot of drinks bought for him on leave, and that "Marines are *crazy*."

I always take care of my good Medics...

The ones who are borderline, now that is another story...

 

[lucky4034]

I'm looking into the military I've looked into marine sniper and flight master but now I'm kinda interested in being a marine medic. Does any one know how difficult it is, the drop out rate, the back ground knowledge needed. Basically the general information and links to some good websites for information similar to this.

Marines don't have medics

Join the Navy for that

BTW, I was a Navy Corpsman and I can help you with any questions you may have. Just ask away....

 

[jeremy]

BTW, I was a Navy Corpsman and I can help you with any questions you may have. Just ask away....

Where does the Navy keep the Sheep at on the Boats?!

 

[HICKMAN]

Where does the Navy keep the Sheep at on the Boats?!

Thought they called them Marines?

 

[Dewidmt]

Air Force Medical training was at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX when I went through (1984). It is an ongoing process, though. You are just a baby medic when you complete the initial 3 month course. After that, it's OJT, you get you National Registry EMT and progress up the skill levels..3,5,7,9...AFSC nowadays is 4N0X1.
It was a good gig..I was all over the world, but you are limited to being on the airbases (not much field work) unless you go the air-evac route or get assigned as a medic to a flying squadron or be an augmentee to one. The uber-levels are reserved for those that get their paramedic through the AF or go to IDMT (Independent Medical Technician) school. IDMT is a down and dirty course that qualifies you to work on your own in field situations, sometimes attached to other units and other services. You learn skills more appropriate to a PA or nurse-practitioner than a medic, then they send you out to God awful places in backwater countries to tend to our troops and some host nation personnel. You do everything from minor surgery to field sanitation, emergency dental to water purification. Even some veterinary work when nobody else is available!
I was a 4N for 22 years, the last 13 being spent as an IDMT. I worked with the Marines, Seabees, Navy corpsmen and Special Forces in places from Colombia and Peru to Kuwait and Korea.
When I got out, I was amazed that NONE of my special skills transferred to the civilian world! They all want money for you to attend THEIR course and schools, they don't even want to see your training records or skills certifications!
Hope this helps, I don't regret a day of the time I spent in!

 

[lucky4034]

Where does the Navy keep the Sheep at on the Boats?!

In between Bin Laden and Moses...

 

[IndyGunworks]

I didnt see it answered already, so i am sorry if its already been said, but you do not get to choose to be a marine sniper. THEY CHOOSE YOU. join the marines and ask for infantry, if you are the best of the best, they may ask if you want to go to sniper school, but any recruiter that says he is putting you into a marine sniper slot is just flat out lying.

 

[bullfrog4ever]

Unless things have changed tremendously since I retired you would be hard pressed to hear a Marine talk **** about "Doc".

I never talk s&*t about the "Doc", they're lifesavers(Death Cheaters) and I've got to much respect for them.

 

[repeter1977]

I was going to comment that the Army medics go to Sam Houston, but I see this was already hit. Good luck with your choices though. As someone else already pointed out, the Army is cutting its ranks by 1/5, not sure how much the others are cutting, but they are all cutting. They are still working at putting people in, but the Army is a lot more selective now, because they don't need as many. Medical fields also went pretty fast for the Army. Granted, thats what I remember from when I left recruiting in 2010, and what I have heard from current Army recruiters

 

[bullfrog4ever]

Air Force Medical training was at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX when I went through (1984). It is an ongoing process, though. You are just a baby medic when you complete the initial 3 month course. After that, it's OJT, you get you National Registry EMT and progress up the skill levels..3,5,7,9...AFSC nowadays is 4N0X1.
It was a good gig..I was all over the world, but you are limited to being on the airbases (not much field work) unless you go the air-evac route or get assigned as a medic to a flying squadron or be an augmentee to one. The uber-levels are reserved for those that get their paramedic through the AF or go to IDMT (Independent Medical Technician) school. IDMT is a down and dirty course that qualifies you to work on your own in field situations, sometimes attached to other units and other services. You learn skills more appropriate to a PA or nurse-practitioner than a medic, then they send you out to God awful places in backwater countries to tend to our troops and some host nation personnel. You do everything from minor surgery to field sanitation, emergency dental to water purification. Even some veterinary work when nobody else is available!
I was a 4N for 22 years, the last 13 being spent as an IDMT. I worked with the Marines, Seabees, Navy corpsmen and Special Forces in places from Colombia and Peru to Kuwait and Korea.
When I got out, I was amazed that NONE of my special skills transferred to the civilian world! They all want money for you to attend THEIR course and schools, they don't even want to see your training records or skills certifications!
Hope this helps, I don't regret a day of the time I spent in!

Sounds like you had a great career!

I was amazed too, when I got out, what stuff didn't transfer over. I was a glorifed computer nerd, with lots and lots of experince. Every place wanted to see that stupid peice of paper people call a degree. Real world, high stress computer administration and responsiblity for millions of $$ of equipment and they didnt care. They want the paper. So I moved careers...

 

[repeter1977]

Sounds like you had a great career!

I was amazed too, when I got out, what stuff didn't transfer over. I was a glorifed computer nerd, with lots and lots of experince. Every place wanted to see that stupid peice of paper people call a degree. Real world, high stress computer administration and responsiblity for millions of $$ of equipment and they didnt care. They want the paper. So I moved careers...

I noticed this too when I got out in 2001. I went back into the Army in 03, and was able to deploy then get some good schools upon returning back. But funny how many still want a piece of paper instead of experience. Oh well, its their money. From what I have heard, there are a lot more companies hiring vets now, but I will believe it when I see it.

 

[bullfrog4ever]

From what I have heard, there are a lot more companies hiring vets now, but I will believe it when I see it.

They are, but it seems they never seem to hire in the field we were trained in. It's always some other field completely unrelated to the field we were trained in. LOL.

 

[repeter1977]

Right now, im in the WTU (Warrior Transition Unit) and we are having a muster. There have been a couple colleges and work places around Rock Island that are helping build resumes and put out that they are looking for vets. This is nice, as most of them are vets, looking for other vets, and the ones that are all here are the ones looking at being medically discharged or medically retired. I really do hope for the best for those of ours that have sacrificed the most. The Army is doing a lot more now then they used to, so all this week has been a ton of information being thrown at us. Im staying in and I have actually learned of a lot of vet benefits that I was not aware of to even ask about before.

 

[g+16]

The marines will generally take care of doc, a old gunny into me a group once and said this is the man who will save your life and I replied or not, I fought with many a marine in barroom fights to other places unnamed, I have no quams with my time with the marines, I had the pleasure of learned all about the russian firearms, dismantal and use, learned about c-4, learned to make a shoot out to 600 yrds , we were not called heros back then and no one outside of family cared if we came home, glad to see that somethings have changed for the better. Hats off to all medics current. past and future. My son is currently active duty in US ARMY as a Major, and has made many deployments, amd I always worrie about him

 

[themadmedic]

To the OP, I can't tell you much about the process on the Navy side to become a corpsman supporting the Marines, but can help with Army medic questions if you have specific ones.

 

[Mad Brew]

I'm looking into the military I've looked into marine sniper and flight master but now I'm kinda interested in being a marine medic. Does any one know how difficult it is, the drop out rate, the back ground knowledge needed. Basically the general information and links to some good websites for information similar to this.

I don't know how they do it these days, but you don't automatically get to go in being a scout sniper. You'll go in as basic infantry and depending on performance, you may be recruited out of SOI (School of Infantry) if you've picked up E3 (Lance Corporal), otherwise you'll have to wait until you get to the fleet and volunteer when they ask (assuming you qualify as an expert on the rifle and your unit has open quotas).

You also can't have poor vision (wear glasses or contacts? no go), have a 1st class physical fitness score, a GT score (the General Technical battery of the ASVAB) of at least 100, and a decent swim qual. They also like you to have completed several Marine Corps Institute distance education courses on stuff like Land Navigation and Marksmanship.

I was a marksmanship coach at Stone Bay Rifle Range in Camp Lejeune in 2001, and one of the four Scout Sniper Schools is located there. The attrition (drop-out) rate is extremely high, only about half of the hopefuls actually graduate (I always heard 3 out of 5 don't make it)... most fail during the stalking & unknown distance assessment.

 

[cbseniour]

A navy corpsman takes basic then goes to Corpsman school which is close to a year and equilivant to Practical nurse training plus military subjects and more. It's a very difficult and busy year for most but there is no higher calling.

I wasn't a Corpsman I was in the army and took advanced infantry training then basic medic school 6 wks then a year later went on to what we called Clinical Specialist School. In VN I helped run a Battalion Aid Station our primary duty was to supply medics each platoon in the various companies in our brigade. I continually told my medics not to be heros but they still managed to be the most Decorated Platoon in the 1st Cav at that time.

 

[repeter1977]

I don't know how they do it these days, but you don't automatically get to go in being a scout sniper. You'll go in as basic infantry and depending on performance, you may be recruited out of SOI (School of Infantry) if you've picked up E3 (Lance Corporal), otherwise you'll have to wait until you get to the fleet and volunteer when they ask (assuming you qualify as an expert on the rifle and your unit has open quotas).

You also can't have poor vision (wear glasses or contacts? no go), have a 1st class physical fitness score, a GT score (the General Technical battery of the ASVAB) of at least 100, and a decent swim qual. They also like you to have completed several Marine Corps Institute distance education courses on stuff like Land Navigation and Marksmanship.

I was a marksmanship coach at Stone Bay Rifle Range in Camp Lejeune in 2001, and one of the four Scout Sniper Schools is located there. The attrition (drop-out) rate is extremely high, only about half of the hopefuls actually graduate (I always heard 3 out of 5 don't make it)... most fail during the stalking & unknown distance assessment.

I know its about the same for the Army. There are two sniper schools that you can go through, one for the Infantry, and the other is for the Military Police. Either of those you have to be selected in order to compete with others for the school slots. And even then, there is the high failure rate. Since I am an MP, I tend to know a bit more about that school, having a friend or two that went through, but even now, I don't know a lot about it. I do know that there is a lot of shooting, and one miss makes you a no go in the MP one.

 

[halfmileharry]

I never talk s&*t about the "Doc", they're lifesavers(Death Cheaters) and I've got to much respect for them.

None finer in my book.

 

[9mmfan]

I ran into a SF medic, who did several tours in Vietnam, about 15 yrs ago. According to him, they were trained to do everything, including field surgery. He told me several stories about doing things that, in the United States, requires a doctor to do. He also said that the SF medic school was 18 months longs, on top of the normal SF training.