Corpsman Moms

Good Luck to our corpsman's that are working towards their FMF Pin : )

I heard about my son's qualifying for FMF after he did it. It is not part of a "training" situation, it is something they work on as they serve with their Marines. No big deal graduation, just part of the job process. You will find, as your corpsmen mature in the military, that less and less is about personal recognition at ceremonies, but about learning to serve as part of a combat team. Please read my post I posted earlier and please take a look at the links posted above. FMTB is TRAINING for corpsman, to prepare them to serve greenside with Marines (it does not mean all will do so). FMF is a QUALIFICATION earned over time as they serve with those Marines.

TennNavyMom...that was Inga's daughter! she's been a great resource to us on this board, answering so many questions for us over the years. Now she's headed to new sands...literally next year...quite the up and down ride for Navy corpsmen in today's world.

My son just went to Camp Pendleton on June 8th attached to the Marines. He starts FMTB in July, then off to Lemoore, CA for who knows how long. Luckily CP is only 7 hours from me  :-)

Hey there, new to this group. My son just graduated Basic & is at Corpsman A school.

Just thought I'd check it out and become part of it.

Hi GMom... I'm new as of a few days ago. My son is a corpsman as well. Right now he's in Afghan w/ a Marine unit on his first deployment. The site has been very helpful and everyone has great info and lots of helpful suggestions. Welcome!

Hi gmom, my son is in corpsman school in San Antonio too. Class 135. What class is your on in?

welcome G Mom  :-)

Welcome G Mom

Nice to see you over here as well, G Mom!! :)

TexasDocMom...thank you for all your info.. it really helps me feel somewhat informed and not so lost.. There is alot to learn and know!  One more question... so is FMF an "option" that a Corpsman can do when he is on the green side? Or is it a requirement they eventually have to get?

My son is on his chosen path and very happy!

 

Mikes Mom...has it taken that long to get FMF or what was the time frame from beginning to end?

 

Tenn Navy....yes my son said he will be assigned to an infantry but not sure on the official stuff yet. 

 

CONGRATS to all your Corpsman for getting the FMF pin!  That is a huge accomplishment and how proud they and you must be!  Thank you all so much for the info you are sharing.  It is wonderful to have moms who are willing to make you feel at home with all the concerns!  

Hi Everyone!  Have been on Navy4Moms since my son was in boot camp (PIR 4/15)  He is now in San Antonio for corpsman school, class 130C.  Just got his orders last Friday to go to Camp Lejeume for more school end of July. I know how much I appreciated everyone's support during boot camp and I'm sure this site will be the same.  Thanks to everyone in advance for your support and knowledge for all of us newbies!

 

Thank you all. My son is in class 175. I am very familiar with the Navy as my husband retired in 2005. It is nice however to see what others are going through, what advice they have from their sons, daughters & spouses who are currently serving. My son was lucky enough through our Navy friends to be able to ask a lot of questions and get advice.

 

I just like being part of the "Navy Family" and appreciate all the new advice.

 

Gnome~ I hope you are doing well. It is nice to see you here too:)

OH by the way Happy Birthday to the Hospital Corpsman 113 years.

My son said the let them out at 4:30 in celebration of the corpsman 113 bday

I need some help ladies!! my boyfriend is graduating from a-school in august. can anyone shed some light on what happens next?? c-school? at c-school is there limited communication like basic training?? whats the deployment rate right after school? help :((

Hello Navy mom.  Glad to see you on..  Because I have asked anyone in 135B..  No one even answered.  ahahahh  go figure..  She is going back to GL to work in that beautiful hospital..

Hi Eydie!  How have you been?  Just made our reservations for San Antonio graduation.  Are  you going?  PIR seems so long ago.

I found out that my son will be going to Bremerton Washington Navy Medical Hospital after he spends 2 months at Camp Pendleton. He is so excited and so am I for him. He really will excel in this field because of the person he is and the personality he has.

 

"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
Luke 7:47

Happy Sunday :) .

Olivia - I am sure someone else might have more info but ...

After A school, your guy will get orders to a comand or C school. He will probably have some choice - like a big list of options depending on how well he did in school and the Navy needs. When he picks his orders you will know more. C school will be more like A school than Boot Camp. Probably 3 phases of liberty and lots of homework. Hope that helps! Much happiness to the two of you!

P.S. New Corpsman usually start off at some base so they work around others and get trained up. Unless he goes with the Marines. You will just have to hold on until he gets his orders.

Inga,, thank you!  So there is a time limit to complete the FMF qualifications but its at their own pace correct?  Also I read that they can be attached to a Marine Unit BUT that it does not mean they are with an infantry unit? Do you know if that is correct? I guess my thought was if the Marine unit needed a Corpsman it was cause they were infantry but I could be wrong.

Eydie... I see you are also 135?  I have a son in 135C,,,have you been on the San Antonio A school chat yet?  Has your daughter got her orders yet?

All Marine medical care is provided through the Navy....corpsmen serve with Marine units no matter the job or location. Don't tell the Marines, but basically they are a part of the US Navy.

JLC...thank you! Good to know. :) I'm still navigating through the murky waters of what our future may hold!

Thank you all for explaining this... so much to learn.  :)

One other question I noticed that Emilie was discussing..I know FMTB they will get some hands on experience. My son will be attached to a Marine unit,,,, will he be with a mentor as he is learning more or how does this work for them to gain more experience?

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” Mark 8:36

Good morning everyone :)

Once a corpsman comes out of FMTB, he's trained to serve in combat with the Marines. One of the main training features of FMTB is running, at full speed, carrying 250 lbs of weight. My son wint from long and lanky to thighs as big as Dallas!

 Before deploying to a war zone, the whole Marine unit goes to 29 Palms for more training in the desert heat. Our corpsmen, even before earning their FMF quailification, are part Marine, part sailor and all Doc when they load in to leave for a war zone. As one guy told me when he returned from his contract job in Iraq..."your son's a field corpsman? they are the toughest mofo's around!"....It was a shock to me to have my son be one of the "toughest mofos" around, but he is certainly a military professional. It's why the Doc has highest respect of his Marines, why they will literally take a bullet for him and will always protect them in a fire fight. The Docs are well trained by people who know how to do it. I'm afraid that experience comes the hard way, mamawalrus. But your son will be surrounded by people who will have his back, respect his job, and who he will learn to love like he's never loved anyone before or will again.

That makes sense, JLC. Thank you for that additional insight.

mamawalrus, my son's first duty station was a clinic in GL prior to him volunteering for an IA assignment for deployment with a Marine Unit to Afghanistan (so he had a few months clinic duty (experience) prior to additional training for deployment.  This was after FMTB (attended right after Corps School in GL).  His predeployment training included additional MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program) training (additional belt (grey) beyond FMTB), A Sick Call Screeners Program http://www.operationalmedicine.org/TextbookFiles/HCSickcallScreener...

Advanced Combat Trauma Training:  http://www.deploymentmedicine.com/courses_ACTT.html

And Enhanced Mojave Viper Training CAX (Combined Arms Exercise).

These are just some of the possible additional training that young Corpsman may receive.

Thank you all once again! I understand the unit will not be infantry he is assigned to but I also understand they can be deployed anywhere for support.  

 

Vettespace.. what is IA?

Hi mamawalrus, see the Navy Individual Augmentee (IA) link above for details.

My son was pulled with about a dozen others out of his internship after A school to fill a class for FMTB at Lajuene. Others in that class had assignments already prepped, my son's group was to fill the holes in assignments. They lined them up at the end of FMTB, pulled them out of line, handed each his orders...my son was assigned to a Marine unit just home from Iraq where they had lost corpsmen, his first deployment was with them on a MEU. His buddy was assigned to another Marine unit and was in Iraq right after his training at 29 Palms. My son's next deployment after the MEU was to a war zone.

Over the years, and this is just my assessment and opinion, it seems to me that those corpsman with longer enlistments get the longer training slots, those that enlist for short terms, like 2 years (like my son's buddy in FMTB) seem to hit the sand sooner. And altho PTS is certainly found in the longer enlisted personnel, I worry more about those 2 year short timers, leaving without getting any follow up or observation from other corpsmen to get the help they need. Are they still doing the 2 year enlistments?

Training is ongoing in the military, all with enough time in have access to the programs Vettespace lists, and each corpsman is evaluated frequently to make sure they are learning and ready to do the job, whatever they are assigned. It's also my experience that young men/women who did not apply themselves in high school and college will find their legs and excel at doing this job. They know how important it is...as my son said to me once when I was buggin' him..."mom, I'm not going to tell a bleeding Marine that I didn't read that page..." and he now teaches, so he must have learned it well.

Texas..... so well said.  My son and I have had that conversation about doing your best and that his job will be an important one. No matter where he is!  I think he is excited and nervous at the same time. He is just worried about getting enough experience,,LOL I told him to relax he is still in the books and the NAVY has been doing this for a long time and they will make sure he is well prepared where ever they send him.  

Has anyone ever heard of the them being sent to CL due to CP being full?  

Texas.. I think my son's enlistment is 6 years.

Mamawalrus, your son is a smart kid. That's the guy I want working on my injured loved one....a man who wants to be ready and knows it's a big job. He'll be fine.

The Navy will fill both schools, that's for sure, I don't think they really care who goes to which one...so I'm sure when one is full the other is used.

Mamawalrus. . .since my sailor enlisted as a Corpsmen, he had to list on a 5X3.  Five years active duty and 3 years reserve.  That's the only enlistment he was offered.  Here's an interesting detail about being greenside.  My sailor told me he has a high probability of being greenside after C school, because every field clinic/hospital the Marines set up has to have a Lab Tech.  He's got 11 more months of schooling, so I'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Lori, my mom's Tricare coverage (which she had as a Navy dependent) covered her at civilian hospitals, even in Corpus Christi...where , at the time, was the new state of the art facility at NASCC. It never was fully staffed at that time, tho.

Thank you all for your help, I guess at this point it's all a matter of waiting. :)

Ok his enlist probably did change now that he is an HM,, he was under 6 for his previous rating. I never thought of that till you asked... will have to ask him.

 

Lori......sorry I did not see a post on injury,, is this your son you are talking about?

TDM-what an incredible young man you raised. Bravo Zulu to you! Your quote in the last paragraph is so touching...and so true.

Tenn Navy Mom-my husband had a similar thing. He has always known he was color deficient, but wanted to be a corpsman anyway! He did a 5/3 as well. I'm so happy to hear he is doing well. :)

TennNavyMom... that is awesome to hear....BC is for sure a tough one.. I always heard that if they can get through that,, they will get through any school. LOL  My son was not a big fan of BC either.  He seems to like HM and once to get started on his journey, LOL  I guess I dont blame him.

To manawalrus..

 

Yes my daughter is going back to GL. to work in their hospital.  Beautiful hospital.  Then going to C school..

Hello Navy Mom

We are all fine.  Looking for apts in GL for Lauren.. She is going back to work in their hospital.  Waiting for C school..  Nursing.  Will not be going to San Antiono for the graduation from A school.  $$ 

To Inga

 

My daughter said the Captain James A. Lovell Hospital

 

You're correct Inga.  They are or have closed the hospital at GL and moved many folks over to the VA hospital or the different clinics on base.  My son's PDS (permanent duty station) is one of those clinics (Fisher I think), and he'll return there after this current deployment.

Tenn-Nope, he just got there on 6/12! Still waiting for classes to start. :)

To Inga

Is that a Hosptial close to GL?