Marines/Navy coreman

[irisblue]

sorry for the yelling....I knew that would draw attention and my answer.....
Why are there Navy corpsman attached to you? Why doesn't the USMC have their own medical personal , marines attached to each unit? Saw a movie, google isn't clear, and it is tradition to call all corpsman Doc?
I know DU, some one will explain this

[pinboy3niner]

1. It's common for medics in all branches to be called Doc

I'm still in touch with my medic from Vietnam since he found me and we reconnected 20 years after I got hit. And I still call him Doc.

[hack89]

2. They belong to the Department of the Navy

The Navy supplies all non- combatant personnel including corpsman.

[irisblue]

4. so all naval corpman are non combantants?

the corpsman undergo ALL the normal training, they learn to shoots.strip& clean weapons just like any naval person, but in a combat situation they DO NOT use their weapons except to defend their selves or defend those injured under their care? Correct? ( a lot of movies and calls for "medic" are in my memories).

[sarge43]

3. Originally, marines were regular army soldiers assigne to navy ships

They were sharp shooters, repellent boarders from enemy ships, participate in land assaults, etc. The naval personnel supplied their routine support, such as medical care. The tradition still holds. Further, regardless of their assigned duties, a marine is first and foremost a rifleman. As medical personnel can not be combatants, navy corpsman have the job.

[irisblue]

5. to not shoot back at thode shooting at you=some brave, resilant men.

correct?

[sarge43]

6. They can carrying small arms and defend themselves and their patients

Brave people. The first woman awarded a Silver Star was an Army nurse, WWII.

[irisblue]

7. well

to not shoot back.....and under fire running to/ crawling to a hurt comrade...knowing you and your meds/skills make a difference...well well.
USMC is known for their ferocity and singlemindness, WHY are there Navy personel attached to the units? A marine trained in medicine could do this. and naval personnel can/have hurt enemies badly......spelling and complete thought after a glass of wine

[pinboy3niner]

8. Why does it matter?

The USMC is a part of the Department of the Navy and there is a historic arrangement that has worked well and has been preserved. Why does that bother you?

Marines who have been wounded in action seem to be fine with it.

[irisblue]

9. nope doesn't bother me

I watched a disaster movie recently(Battle for LA) where "Doc" clearly explained to another ignorant civilian, like me, that he was navy not a marine. I watched a lot of movies with my dad ( of blessed memory where the call for Medic! went out). I am curious I worked in civilian health care for 20+ years, if you landed on my X Ray table, I took care of you...but civilian life is way different from military and combat life...curiosity called me into asking people who would know. The prime goal is always get home in one piece, someone wants you back/loves you.

[sarge43]

11. Because in combat you stay focus on your job

If you lose that focus, you can lose your life or some body parts. You can't be all things to all people in combat. Riflemen/infantry fight; corpsman stabilize. They're the equivalent of EMTs. Further as noted up thread the USMC is part of the Navy and supplies its support. The Corps stays lean and mean.

[pinboy3niner]

12. And some medics/corpsmen are conscientious objectors who do not carry weapons

Last edited Wed Oct 8, 2014, 09:39 PM - Edit history (1)

I knew one who went through a lot of Army Infantry combat in Vietnam--unarmed--and was highly decorated for valor.

[jmowreader]

18. Sarge, you were a Marine so I have a question...

The Army has a program called "Combat Lifesaver." They send the troops through a week of fairly high-level first-aid training (you learn to start IVs, for one thing) and these troops bridge the gap between the artificial respiration, splinting fractures and stopping bleeding sort of first aid we all learned in basic and the four months of training MOS-qualified medics get.

Does the Corps have that?

[sarge43]

19. I wasn't a Marine, jmowreader. Air Force

Sounds like basic EMT training and a good idea. Don't have to be in direct combat to have a dangerous job. Some of the stories my husband tells me from his munitions maintenance days makes my hair stand up on end.

[jmowreader]

20. The Army thought it was a really good idea...

When the Army first started the program they wanted one of them per squad. After their experience with it in Iraq, every soldier is now given the training in Basic.

[With whom]

10. There has always been Master-at-Arms forces.

There has always been Master-at-Arms division aboard ship. For a good example of how the Master-at-Arms division functions watch the movie "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311113/

It was this fighting force of the Navies that evolved into the Marines. Manning requirements for Marine Forces are based on combatant personnel, non-combatants are assigned via directives from Epmac New Orleans. The total manning of Marine Forces is dictated not to exceed current requirements. In cases of declared war, projections are made by yearly estimates, referred to as M+1, M+2, etc with the +# being future years.

Really, watch the movie and you'll understand better.

[UTUSN]

13. For some strange reason, I'll grapple with this.

1) "coreman" is the phonetic spelling of "corpsman" (I see it's "corpsman" later).

2) "attached to YOU" - you're addressing a Marine somewhere?

3) "call all corpsman(sic = corpsMEN) Doc?" - yes, a blue collar term of endearment.


So, as other posters have enlightened: The Marines are part of the The Navy Department. Marines are "soldiers" aboard Navy ships. That's why Marines are attached to the Navy. So, when the Marines are on land, sailor/medics are attached to the Marines to allow for the Marines to concentrate on FIGHTING and MAYHEM.

I don't know what yelling *you* are doing, but I'm starting to YELL on my own. Some kind of flaming going on here.

[pinboy3niner]

14. Well said. 'Doc' is a term of endearment--and respect.

Anyone who has served in ground combat doesn't give a shit what you call them--we LOVE our medics.

[A HERETIC I AM]

15. My father was both

My dad lied about his age to enlist in the Navy in early 1942 and became a Navy Corpsman, spending time on Hospital ships (or maybe just one, not sure) in the Phillipines and was on station for D-Day - I believe they were anchored in the Irish Sea, so as to be out of range of German aircraft.

He was either recalled to active duty or re-enlisted when the Korean War came around and was indeed attached to the Marine Corps as a Field Medic, but he remained a Navy man.

His combat medical experience was what led to him being recruited by the CIA sometime in 1954. I'm on the road at the moment and not at home, where I could verify the dates, but it's close enough.

Yes, the wounded he came in contact with did indeed call him "Doc", though he had no formal, civilian medical training. He was a "Medical Technician" and an administrator during his time with "The Company" and ran a clinic in Arlington which handled physicals and innoculations for individuals headed overseas. Fastest innoculation I ever had was administered by my dad.


He would have been the perfect person to give an answer to this question, but he passed away in 2000.

[Callmecrazy]

16. I was an Army medic...

"Doc" was a term of endearment/respect. We trained with combatants, carried all the equipment they carried, plus all of our medical gear. Not everybody was cut out for the job. It wasn't for the squeemish. Nobody ever accused me of being weak or stupid. I could roll with the best of them. It was funny how even the toughest among the men would pass out at the sight of a little needle. I sometimes got to have a little fun with that. I'm a little guy, and don't intimidate anybody... until they saw that syringe coming toward them.

[jmowreader]

17. It's done in part to pad the Marines' personnel numbers

Each service is only allowed to have a certain number of personnel on September 30 - the last day of the fiscal year. The term is "FY end strength." The Marines have the smallest end strength and want to use it all for trigger-pullers, so all their noncombatants (medical personnel and chaplains) are actually members of the Navy. If the Defense Department lets them do it, why not?

It is so much a tradition, in all the branches, to call enlisted medics "Doc" that the commissioned officers who are licensed physicians are called "Surgeons" so you don't mix them up.