The most
dreaded call heard
on a field of battle is “MEDIC” or “CORPSMAN UP”. Anyone
that has served in, with, or alongside US Marines, know we do not staff medical
(including dental) and chaplain billets; these are provided by the US Navy.
On this day, 17 JUN 1898, President William McKinley signed
an act of Congress establishing the Hospital Corps. The Hospital Corps consists
of every member from physicians/surgeons to registered nurses, to registered
pharmacists, to diagnostic technicians (X-ray, CT, MRI), to lab assistants and
everyone necessary to provide medical care. They stand ready to serve the needs
of serviceman and women and their dependents, either ashore, underway, or
downrange.
Today the Navy/Marine Corps Team celebrate 116 years of “courageous”
and “faithful” dedicated service to the men and women that answer our call. We Marines
respectfully call him“Doc”. He is a US Navy Corpsman and he is ready to serve
in every clime and place. He carries band-aids and bullets. He is not a Medic; that is a US Army and US
Air Force term. (Not to be confused with the more elite PJs or ParaRescueman (ParaRescue
Jumpers).
From triaging “sick call” on base to treating a diver with
the “bends” on a submarine, to establishing an airway on the battlefield, the
men and women—with the rating of Hospital Corpsman (HM)—serve bravely and with
distinction. No Marine will go into battle without a Corpsman attached to their
team. They are trained to fight and when need arises, treat the wounded.
The Corpsmen assigned to Marine (Green) units are a bit
different, perhaps even a bit more elite, to their counterparts that remain
with Navy (Blue) units. The Marine Corpsmen are a bit tougher, a lot leaner,
but equally as compassionate. Even within the Marine Corps, there exists an even
more elite Corpsman. These are the ones that volunteer and make it through
Assessment and Selection for Marine Reconnaissance Units (Battalion, Force and
MARSOC—United States Marine Corps Special Operations Command). These are the
elite Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman or SARCs.
SARCs must have completed their “A” school [14 weeks] for
Navy Hospital Corpsman then complete Field Medical Training [8 weeks] (to serve
with Marines). They then enter the “pipeline”; a 2-½ year training program:
(1)
Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance School [13 weeks] or whatever the
current name is. (This is essentially 13 weeks of staying wet with little sleep
and little chow. Think US Army Ranger School on steroids.)
(2) Combatant Diver
School [8 weeks] (US Navy open/close circuit diving in open water with
explosives).
(3) US Army Basic Airborne School [3 weeks] (Static line “jump”
school).
(4) Military Free Fall [4 weeks] (for those assigned to Force and
MARSOC).
(5) SERE—Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape [3 weeks].
(6) US Army
Special Operations Medic Course (SOCM) [26 weeks].
(7) US Navy Special
Operations Independent Duty Corpsman Course (SOIDC) [24 weeks].
Alongside these
courses, he will attend Language school(s), Breaching Course, Cold Weather
Training, Mountaineering Course, Scout/Sniper Course, US Army Ranger School,
Joint Terminal Air Controller (JTAC), US Army Pathfinder Course, US Army “Jump”
Master Course, US Navy “Dive” Master Course and any other school/training necessary to
complete mission requirements. They are trained to fill any position in the 4
to 6 man team. From Team Leader to Radio Operator to Breacher to Sniper, they
are integral member of an elite squad. They live up to their motto: “The difficult—ANYTIME; the ‘Impossible’
by appointment only!”
Since 1919, many Corpsmen have been recognized for their
acts of valor and bravery. These include:
Medal of Honor: 22
Navy Cross: 178
Distinguished
Service Cross (while assigned to US Army): 31
Silver Star: 946
Bronze Star: 1,582
Ships named in
honor of corpsman: 20
Thankfully, I have only required the services of a "SARC" twice. The first was in the Pacific Ocean, one and half miles off the coast after a
high speed cast shortly before midnight on a moonless, rainy night. I became
hypothermic and passed out. My swim buddy immediately noticed I had stopped
swimming, my shallow breathing and listlessness. He popped flares signaling the
recovery craft to our position. While on the recovery craft, “Doc” cut off my
wetsuit and started an IV. I was MedEvac’d out. In the helo, he started warming
my body with a thermal blanket. When I arrived at hospital, I was already “warmed”
to 93oF. I have no firsthand knowledge of these events and can only
recount what others told me. After 30 hours in hospital, I was returned to my
unit. The other time was not as traumatic, just a couple of busted ribs and a
bruised knee from an unplanned tree landing (parachute jump). Regardless, these brave men
answer the call no matter how minor or severe, without regard to their own
safety.
So today, please lift a glass in recognition of the men and
Semper Fortis and Semper Fidelis Doc.
(Always Courageous and Always Faithful)
“Today, we honor their bravery, brilliance and sacrifice when serving in harm’s way to protect the lives of our Sailors and Marines. From the Revolutionary War to the current overseas contingency operations, corpsmen have served with valor and gallantly answered the call, “Corpsman up!” as they tend to the sick and injured on the sea, under the sea, in the air and on battlefields worldwide. No Marine has ever taken a hill without a corpsman by his side. And when they do, they take solace in knowing that “Doc” is beside them.” – Vice Admiral Matthew L. Nathan, US Navy Surgeon General, and Chief, US Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
No comments:
Post a Comment