Hospital Corpsman

[Jesse's Mom]

My son is going to be a Hospital Corpsman and wants to end up being a medic with the Marines.  I understand that this training will be hard. He is so proud to be going for this purpose and I am so proud of him. He gets upset when he tells people what he is going into because he has people say " Oh you are going to be a bed pan jockey".  I have told him that some people are just stupid and that if their life was on the line they would want him around. His recruiter also told him how important his job will be. He was discouraged because he really wanted the Nuc. program and he tested high enough for it but he is color blind. I told him that he is going for one of the most important jobs in there.

[Kathy (AOMom)]

Every job in the Navy is important. Some jobs are tougher, more dangerous, but when it comes down to it, especially on a ship, if everyone didnt do their job the missions would not be successful. He should be proud that he is eligible to serve, and wants to. Of all the age group that is eligible to serve only 17% of them can actually qualify to serve. (that % may have changed) Best of luck to your son, dont listen to what people tell you unless they have done that job themselves. Corpsmen are very respected in the military, as his time goes by and he gets experience and more knowledge in his field, they call corpmen "doc" but it is earned.

[CaptainFatso]

He shouldn't sweat it. He'll soon acquire his own repertoire of labels to assign to fellow shipmates.

• Snipe = someone in the engineering department (sometimes referred to as Bilge Rats)
• Twidget = An electronics type in the Combat Systems department. He or she often inhabits the chrome dome.
• Deck Ape = Boatswains Mate
• Skimmer = Sailor in the Surface Fleet
• Bubblehead = Sailor in the Sub Fleet
• Brown Shoe = someone in aviation'
• Bird Farm = Where sailors on aircraft carriers live
• Black Shoe = real sailor :)
• Zero = An Officer
• Old Man = the Skipper
• Goat = Chief
• Push Button = A sailor who earned his or her crow in A School
• Lights = A nickname given to the Signalman.
• Boats - A nickname given to a Boatswains Mate
• Cookie - A nickname given to a Mess Specialist\
• Doc - A nickname given to Corpsmen (The President should have said this instead)
• Spook - Some in an intelligence rating
• P**k*r Checker - The other way to refer to a Corpsmen.
• Welded to the Pier = Describing the duty of someone serving on a tender
• Wog or Polliwog  - someone who hasn't crossed the equator
• Shellback - Someone who has already buried his face in the greased up belly of a fat chief.. AKA the Royal Baby
• Supply Puke = Self Explanatory
• REMF = Definition not suitable for a family forum.
• Swabby or Squid = A label used by confused civilians or members of other branches when referring to a sailor.
• Faceless Bodies = Civilians who aren't family members.
• Puddle Pirates = Members of the Puddle Patrol (or US Coast Guard)
• Ground Pounder = Soldier
• Zoomie = Member of the Air Force
• Jarhead = The guys who only ALMOST got it right.

I'm guess I'm saying that the ribbing and rivalry is part of the job description. Worse, they never grow out of it. They will still be calling each other these things when they are members of the American Legion or VFW.

[Jesse's Mom]

Thank you so much. I am going to print this off so I know what he is talking about!  I love it