Any US Army medics out here?

I have few questions I would like to ask you about active duty. I was 11 Bravo and I'm thinking about reenlisting. Before I talk back with my recruiter who gets paid to tell me what I want to hear, I would like to talk to someone who is in.

Matt

Fire away! I can answer just about any question you have about 91W

Thanks mate,

Job description: how different it is from EMT work, in the movies you see medics starting lines, intubating etc which is basically doing paramedic work, is it really like that? I don't know about other bases but at Ft. Benning when somebody got hurt we would get a private ambulance from military hospital or drive the "victim" in ourselves. Medics were rarely seen. Even during FTX we had a med unit out there setting field hospital and ready to bring in casualties but never with actual platoon.

Training: how long is the training after basic? What do you get to do? Is your stay 4 years and than it’s time to move on or you can bang away 20 years of service?

Down time: time in the field vs time training, time off vs time working

Deployment: are you on permanent loan with the unit or you just get
assigned on need to do bases. I don't want to get stuck at MEPS taking blood samples. What for example were your assignments?

Promotions: how easy is to get promoted? I would start as e4 so I'm one
step away from being an nco. I know the higher you go the less actually you do connected to your real MOS but you get more paper work and headache.


Reason I’m asking all this questions is because I love EMT work and being in the field. So 91W would be perfect for me so it seems now. But a lot of my friends and family tell me to go to OCS since I have a 4 year degree. I’m just trying to get all the pros and cons here.

Matt Jachyra

I'll have to answer your questions later on today...I'm running a wee bit late this morning!

Take your time... Thanks much in advance...

Matt

Just for right now: (I'm on call at the hospital this week, and it's been crazy) Training is 16 weeks, basically qualifies you as an EMT-B, later option to be ACLS certified. If you want to stay in the field then you need to get some sort of guarantee from your recruiter for a light infantry brigade--be a "walking medic", otherwise you will spend most of your time pulling sick call at a Troop Medical Clinic. Kinda boring. I'll write some more later tonight if I don't get called in <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />