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What is being an Army Medic like?
What traumas do you experience, what is it like once you retire? Moments that you will cherish and which will be the ones you grieve?
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Kess’s Answer
Hello there, Jayla!
Military life sure is a unique adventure. It's a mixed bag - some folks find it thrilling, while others, not so much. As for me? I absolutely relished my stint as an Army medic.
Here's a little rundown of the training process: It all kicks off with Basic Combat Training, commonly known as "boot camp". This is where you get the lowdown on the essentials of soldiering - from operating radios and weapons to engaging in rigorous physical training, and even learning to read maps. This phase typically lasts about 9 weeks. Next up, you'll head to school to become an Army medic, or as it's officially called, a "healthcare specialist". Don't let the fancy title mislead you though - healthcare specialists are indeed medics. This stage involves an 8-week period to secure your Emergency Medical Technician license, followed by another 8 weeks of medic-specific training. You'll learn the basics of pharmacology, anatomy, and physiology, along with practical procedures like starting IVs, applying tourniquets, and treating collapsed lungs.
Once you've completed your training, you'll be assigned to your duty station. This is where things take an interesting turn. Medics are typically placed in one of three types of units: combat, support, or hospital. Combat unit medics are the ones you often see in movies, rushing to the aid of injured soldiers on the battlefield. These medics are trauma experts, skilled at handling severe injuries like amputations and collapsed lungs, as well as everyday ailments like sprained ankles and common colds. Support unit medics, on the other hand, are well-versed in both trauma care and clinic care, dealing with conditions like chest pain, frostbite, and heat stroke. Hospital medics usually work in the emergency department or on the wards. What you see depends on where you are stationed and what type of unit. Some medics will see combat, others simply won't.
A wise chaplain once shared with me, "The best days in the military will be the best days of your life; the worst days in the military will be the worst days of your life." And I can vouch for the truth in his words.
As for retirement, I can't offer much insight. It probably varies depending on whether you're retiring after 20 years of service or due to a serious injury (medical retirement). When I hung up my uniform, I realized my passion for medicine was unwavering. So, here I am, currently studying in medical school.
I hope this gives you a clearer picture!
Military life sure is a unique adventure. It's a mixed bag - some folks find it thrilling, while others, not so much. As for me? I absolutely relished my stint as an Army medic.
Here's a little rundown of the training process: It all kicks off with Basic Combat Training, commonly known as "boot camp". This is where you get the lowdown on the essentials of soldiering - from operating radios and weapons to engaging in rigorous physical training, and even learning to read maps. This phase typically lasts about 9 weeks. Next up, you'll head to school to become an Army medic, or as it's officially called, a "healthcare specialist". Don't let the fancy title mislead you though - healthcare specialists are indeed medics. This stage involves an 8-week period to secure your Emergency Medical Technician license, followed by another 8 weeks of medic-specific training. You'll learn the basics of pharmacology, anatomy, and physiology, along with practical procedures like starting IVs, applying tourniquets, and treating collapsed lungs.
Once you've completed your training, you'll be assigned to your duty station. This is where things take an interesting turn. Medics are typically placed in one of three types of units: combat, support, or hospital. Combat unit medics are the ones you often see in movies, rushing to the aid of injured soldiers on the battlefield. These medics are trauma experts, skilled at handling severe injuries like amputations and collapsed lungs, as well as everyday ailments like sprained ankles and common colds. Support unit medics, on the other hand, are well-versed in both trauma care and clinic care, dealing with conditions like chest pain, frostbite, and heat stroke. Hospital medics usually work in the emergency department or on the wards. What you see depends on where you are stationed and what type of unit. Some medics will see combat, others simply won't.
A wise chaplain once shared with me, "The best days in the military will be the best days of your life; the worst days in the military will be the worst days of your life." And I can vouch for the truth in his words.
As for retirement, I can't offer much insight. It probably varies depending on whether you're retiring after 20 years of service or due to a serious injury (medical retirement). When I hung up my uniform, I realized my passion for medicine was unwavering. So, here I am, currently studying in medical school.
I hope this gives you a clearer picture!
Updated
Jacob’s Answer
Hi, Jayla,
I think Kess gave you a great answer already - I'll add a few thoughts of my own to supplement her response.
While I can't speak broadly on what it is like to be a medic in the Army, I can site my specific experience with medics. I was an Infantry Rifle Platoon Leader and, later, a Mortar Platoon Leader in a light infantry battalion in an infantry brigade combat team. My Rifle Platoon was assigned a line medic. He held a wide range of responsibilities that included:
- Monitoring the physical and mental health of the platoon both in garrison and while deployed
- Providing immediate care for casualties (while deployed) and injuries (in training)
- Helping to resource and execute field sanitation plans (i.e. enabling my Soldiers to maintain as high a standard of personal hygiene while in the field and deployed as possible)
- Helping to plan and execute the Platoon's combat field care training (i.e. training the rest of the Platoon how to treat a casualty or an injured Soldier)
This is one example of MANY roles you could serve in as a medic. I believe either our battalion or our brigade maintained its own aid station. Our battalion's medics also staffed the aid station during sick call in the mornings and maintained a presence there throughout the day.
Again, medics serve a variety of roles. If this career is something you're interested in, I'd suggest doing as much research online as possible (see the link below for a good starting point). If, after thorough research, you are still interested, it might be a good idea to reach out to a recruiter to get some more information.
I also can't opine on what it's like once you're retired. That would certainly depend on how long you serve but, given the nature of the position, I imagine you would have ample opportunities to work in the healthcare field as a civilian.
I hope this helps. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions about this specific inquiry or the Army in general. Good luck!
https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/career-match/science-medicine/intensive-care/68w-combat-medic-specialist.html
I think Kess gave you a great answer already - I'll add a few thoughts of my own to supplement her response.
While I can't speak broadly on what it is like to be a medic in the Army, I can site my specific experience with medics. I was an Infantry Rifle Platoon Leader and, later, a Mortar Platoon Leader in a light infantry battalion in an infantry brigade combat team. My Rifle Platoon was assigned a line medic. He held a wide range of responsibilities that included:
- Monitoring the physical and mental health of the platoon both in garrison and while deployed
- Providing immediate care for casualties (while deployed) and injuries (in training)
- Helping to resource and execute field sanitation plans (i.e. enabling my Soldiers to maintain as high a standard of personal hygiene while in the field and deployed as possible)
- Helping to plan and execute the Platoon's combat field care training (i.e. training the rest of the Platoon how to treat a casualty or an injured Soldier)
This is one example of MANY roles you could serve in as a medic. I believe either our battalion or our brigade maintained its own aid station. Our battalion's medics also staffed the aid station during sick call in the mornings and maintained a presence there throughout the day.
Again, medics serve a variety of roles. If this career is something you're interested in, I'd suggest doing as much research online as possible (see the link below for a good starting point). If, after thorough research, you are still interested, it might be a good idea to reach out to a recruiter to get some more information.
I also can't opine on what it's like once you're retired. That would certainly depend on how long you serve but, given the nature of the position, I imagine you would have ample opportunities to work in the healthcare field as a civilian.
I hope this helps. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions about this specific inquiry or the Army in general. Good luck!
Jacob recommends the following next steps: