I posted this over in the U.S. Navy forum, but I figured you guys would also know.
"Excuse my ignorance, but I had some quetions about Navy Hospital Corpsmen serving with the USMC. Do HMs carry rifles, or do they only have a sidearm? Do HMs attached to Marine units wear Marine uniforms and insignia? I have other questions about the carrier field, but I think those are more for a recruiter. I met a guy in passing who said he used to be a corpsman (radiology IIRC), but we didn't get around to talking about the in's and out's of his work. Anyway, It got me thinking about HMs and the work they do. God bless 'em all. Thank for any info about the job."
Navy corpsmen who are assigned to Marine units do not carry a rifle. They just carry a side arm, their job is not to engage the enemy. The next question about uniforms is covered under Marine Corps Order P1020.34F. Certain personel assigned to marine units including but not limited to Religious persons, corpsmens, and medical techs and some officers may decied to go Marine Corps clothing Regulations. http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/mcub/library/MCUR/URCH8.htm but Navy personel do not wear the Marine Insignia they have their own and the classic Eagle, Globe and Anchor are for exsclusive marine use only nor do they wear anything that says USMC that also is reserved for Marines. The catch for many when going Marine Regs is that they are now under all grooming and uniform standards of the USMC such as hair cuts, weight, uniform apperanse and some navy personal this is Ok with some it isn't.
According to the Marine Times over 300,000 MARPATT's were ordered with the buzzard and shield for our navy brethern but who knows when thes will hit the system.
8541 Never say never about half of our docs carried rifles in the Gulf War. They figured why look like an officer when you can blend in with the others.
Be advised that you may have to hump with the Grunts. And if you do you will be carrying an awkward, heavy Med. bag off your shoulder (unless you can rig up some other, more ergonomic way to carry it).
Plus, whenever the Grunts stop to rest while on those 20 mile Forced Marches there is always someone who needs attention, and it's "Corpsman Up!". So you don't get as much recoup time as they do.
The only advantage that the Corspmen had, that I could see, is that they didn't have to sleep in Marine Barracks when not in te field.
This is not combat experience I am talking about. Just Fleet Marine Force experience.
Hope this helps you decide. (..advise from an old Grunt)
Originally posted by billwade 8541 Never say never about half of our docs carried rifles in the Gulf War. They figured why look like an officer when you can blend in with the others.
I served in the First Gulf war and did combat tours after and I have never seen a front line corpsman carrying a rifle as issue. Might happen in REMFs but in never happened in the 6th or 8th or the 7th Marines what unit were you with that issued rifles to docs? It's definately not a common occurance at all. I once saw some Marine tankers riding in a T-72 we captured that doesn't make it common place.
8541 I was in 2nd Tnk Bn. AT-TOW Co. Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen. And that may have been our tankers driving the T-72. I had a ride myself and drove a T-55. Nowhere near as nice as a M1A1.
Originally posted by billwade 8541 I was in 2nd Tnk Bn. AT-TOW Co. Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen. And that may have been our tankers driving the T-72. I had a ride myself and drove a T-55. Nowhere near as nice as a M1A1.
Dang did I say it didn't happen or did I say it wasn't common? Just like in your first opine did I say "never"? I'm sure the OP with no military exspirience wants to know what's common not what happens once in a blue moon. That was my point with the Soviet Tanks how common was it to ride around in those? Corpsmen in the First Gulf war had a totally different job now than they had then. I did tours in both so I'm very comfortable saying that. You can't really compare '91 with '05 it's apples and oranges, I have not seen a corpsman carrying a rifle ever in combat says the guy with multiple CARs. It's not common if it does happen it is very rare and usually means that the corpsman picked up a weapon. I knew a SGTMAJ who carried a S&W revolver is this common? Do you think we do the OP a servise by answering his question with what commonly occures or barely occurs? never mind that wasn't meant as a direct question.....
8541 I talk to a guy at work today that has a son over there now . He is a corpsman and he is carrying a rifle (at his request). It probably depends on the unit commander. Every unit is different.
By the Table of Organization and Table of Equipment, corpsmen are assigned pistols. If you have seen a doc with a rifle, he likely requested one be issued to him. If the unit has extra rifles, I don't see why not. However, I would think the doc would be hampered in his duties with a rifle. He is not there to engage the enemy. If he has to, then the unit he's attached to must be in dire straits.
Originally posted by billwade 8541 I talk to a guy at work today that has a son over there now . He is a corpsman and he is carrying a rifle (at his request). It probably depends on the unit commander. Every unit is different.
:laughabove: :animlol: :animlol: I'm sure he tells his Dad about all the patrols he leads as point man also. Do a few tours in the sand box with units that are taking causilties and I assure you you won't see a corpsman out with an issued M-16A2 or M-4. What does the Corpsman do when he has to take care of a wounded man and apply a teriquite (new protocol now, it's a first resort not last) and a IV? Oh yeah I'm sure he worries about the wounded later and returns fire. In a fire fight a corpsman has a job to do and it has nothing to do with shooting at the enemy. Mind you I can o=nly speak on what Doc's are carrying with combat units and it's not rifles. Hell I never even saw a Doc in the First Gulf War with Plasma, it's common now..... Like I said before the FGW and Today are different worlds.:
That right I'm sure you know everything about everything. And I doubt you were a sniper you don't act like any of the ones i served with . And I have been in combat when casualties were taken, and our doc had his rifle.
Originally posted by billwade That right I'm sure you know everything about everything. And I doubt you were a sniper you don't act like any of the ones i served with . And I have been in combat when casualties were taken, and our doc had his rifle.
Oh and how many scout snipers did you serve with in 2nd tank BLT? please tell us about all the SS that you hung around with at the stumps please. A ton of them HUH? keep beliving "reports from the front". I love it every time some one disagrees from some one else on this board then their not a marine, cop, lawyer, scout sniper or what ever. believe me or not who cares, hey I don't believe you were a tanker but I really don't care but you probably were they way you get your feelings hurt so easy.:supergrin: Like I keep saying I never saw a corpsman issued a rifle in my years, not recently not ever. I'm not calling you a liar and I said that it is not common. You're so hell bent to think that it is a common occurance and to prove me wrong you quote frok a second hand source. believe what you want just don't quote me second hand reports from the front from some one who sends a e mail to his Dad and exspect me not to LMAO..... Funny thing I keep finding that if a Marine who got out years ago is questioned by one who just got out no matter how much time they put in they throw a fit...... It's almost like you guys who have been out for awhile think there is some sort of deference owed to you. ETA here is a link from some navy corpsmen who just got back saying they wished the had rifles but they probably aren't real either or are friends of mine, or are liars, but probably fakers because they disagree that it's common too.... https://www.mccll.usmc.mil/cfbb/index.cfm?page=topic&topicID=49
Sorry to intrude on your link guys, but I was a Corpsman way back in the late 70's and 80's. Naturally, I can't speak for what's going on now. I'm sure you guys went to Geneva Convention classes; we did. They explained to us that if a Corpsman carried a rifle, it automatically removed him from a higher prisoner exchange category should he get captured. (They issued us special grey ID cards with red crosses on them as I remember.) Carrying a rifle could also get in the way of completing our mission, both physically and psychologically.
Prior to getting stationed with Marine units, we had to go to a 10 week course at Pendleton called Field Medical Service School. (Ironically, we carried M16's during the course.) They went into more detail concerning the separation of duties between Corpsmen and Marines. In a nut shell, Marines, are riflemen, one and all, no matter what their MOS, Right? Corpsmen are not, otherwise the Marine Corps would train their own men as corpsmen. The primary focus of the corpsman is to maintain/return as many riflemen to action as possible. It's kind of hard to do that if your focused on dumping lead downrange. We have a different job description.
Does that mean a corpsman shouldn't know how to handle a rifle? Definitely not. What do I think Corpsmen should carry? If properly trained (we weren't), MP5-K's on a thigh rig. I remember a conversation with a Nam vet I worked for. He said, "If it comes to a point where a Corpsman really needs a rifle, one will be readily available." (He did suggest carrying ammo just in case.)
Marine's used to have a saying,"What is the Marine's biggest hazard in the battlefield?" A CORPSMAN WITH A 45.
8541 I was also in 2/4 and 3/6 Wpns co. I figured since you knew everything you would have seen that in my other thread. Guess you had your head stuck in your spotting scope. By the way your way to easy to get torqued up aren't you. Semper Fi.
Doc's rock!
PI - 1981
Forget Geneva. The Command element, RTO, MG'r, and YOU are the primary targets. Yea, you better carry a rifle on patrol...
Be safe,
Originally posted by RVER Doc's rock!
PI - 1981
Forget Geneva. The Command element, RTO, MG'r, and YOU are the primary targets. Yea, you better carry a rifle on patrol...
Be safe,
I remember hearing that as well. For the units that have them, I'd be interested in knowing how the new camo M4's w/those front hanging slings change that. How do they look from a distance?
Another 8404 here. Been out since the mid 90s. We performed many activities out in the field, and in garrison, right along with the Marines. However, it is my personal experience, that most, if not all HMs I knew, and still know, do NOT carry rifles. We are only allowed out Beretta sidearm. We were allowed to qualify with the rifle though.
I was a Navy Corpsman from '71 to '75. No combat, but worked a lot of trauma in an emergency room and operating room. I joined because my draft number was #2 and #6 and I wanted a choice of Rating/MOS. I have a tremendous respect for our U.S. Marines. I was stationed with the Marines for a little over a year at Quantico, VA and worked with a lot of wounded Marines coming back from Vietnam. I now work for the Veterans Administration in Outpatient Psychiatry, LCSW - Therapist/Counselor - working with a number of vets suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and/or related problems. A few of the Corpsman I work with that served in Vietnam chose a shotgun and/or .45... some were so scared they picked-up all the weapons they could carry... for a while...then they learned to do what needed to be done, and would do it all over again.... (Most of the guys I work with were/are "southern, country boys" - grew-up with guns.) Anyway, you guys be safe... I guess I just really wanted to say I appreciate all you do!!! I support you 100%! I also think this thing in Iraq sure smells a lot like Vietnam, just in a different part of the world. I guess I just don't see it quite like some of our politicians.... Semper Fi :thumbsup:
I walked point with a Marine Scout Dog in Vietnam for 13 months. I landed in Danang 3 days before the start of the Tet offensive in 1968. Some of my heros in life are Corpsman. I could not care less what gun/rifle they may carry. Simply know this: When your dick is on the deck and you need help, a Corpsman will be there - every time! I watched them give their lives so Marines could live. No greater love have I ever known. They are exceptional men. I honor them. I admire them. They are the reason so many Marines are alive today, and the reason so many Marines will continue to survive. Simper Fi.
I did 2 tours in the Nam with 1st Recon battalion and trust me back then, our Corpsman carried a M-16 at all times. I cannot speak for what goes down now, but the Corpsman were very well respected and was as much a Marine as any on out team.
S.F.Vic:thumbsup:
My docs in OIF I carried shotguns and pistols, in OIF III the docs I was around never left the FOB so they had M9s, in OIF V my doc carried a carbine and a pistol.
When we moved to provisional rifle duty in OIF I, the docs gave up their shotguns and carried A2s because the shot guns were starting to be used to breach doors.
The GCE board of 03, initially planned on most M9s barriers at BN and lower level to have a Carbine vice a pistol.
I know the SARC type Corpsmen often carried para-SAWs.
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