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I'm young to the military, but if I've learned anything about myself, I've discovered my interest in pursuing a higher level of care in the healthcare field. I'm a reservist, but I'd like to join active duty to pursue a career in Civil Affairs as a medic. Would it be better to get a 38B contract (and if I make it through selection), volunteer for SOCM, or attempt to attach to a CA unit as a medic?
Civil Affairs
Healthcare
68W: Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 8
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Hi. my 1SG recently looked into this pretty closely. I am also a reservist and don't know how much different it would be on active duty, but Civil Affairs is about 90% or more reserve units. Having said that, there is no such thing as a Civil Affairs Medic. You are one or the other. If you are a 68W and you re-class to 38B, then the Army will pay for your annual refresher courses and you can continue to function in the capacity of your secondary MOS 68W in addition to your primary MOS as a 38B. You would be a Civil Affairs Soldier with a civil affairs mission. If you are a 38B like myself and try to go the other way, it's not likely to work because then your primary MOS is 68W and you will go where the army wants. In the Reserve (and in the active Army to an extent, if you are proactive and network well), you can try to switch units around to where you want, but eventually you are going to get promoted and assigned according to your 68W MOS with no guarantee that you will stay in the Civil Affairs or Special Operations community.
38Bs with medical skills are in demand. The Civil Affairs mission often calls for the skill and it's easier for the unit if they already have it in house. A recruiter would have more details. Just be aware that if you go to a unit with a different mission than your primary MOS, you will probably get promoted out of that unit according to where your primary MOS is needed.
38Bs with medical skills are in demand. The Civil Affairs mission often calls for the skill and it's easier for the unit if they already have it in house. A recruiter would have more details. Just be aware that if you go to a unit with a different mission than your primary MOS, you will probably get promoted out of that unit according to where your primary MOS is needed.
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SSG (Join to see)
This is absolutely false. W1 is the ASI for a civil affairs medic. It can be earned by a 68W or a 38B.
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MSG Henry Cole
For the reserve units that is correct. For the active battalion that is incorrect. There was an active brigade but it was dismantled, and it is one battalion at Fort Bragg now. The medical training course for the conventional side of the house is the civil affairs specialist course, and for the SOF side is the Civil Affairs Sergeants course. W1 is a special operations medic and W2 is Civil Affairs medic, W4 is (W1 and W4) Civil Affairs Trauma Medical Sergeant.
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SPC Adam Anderson
68W with an ASI of W2 gave birth to the MOS Civil Affairs Medical Specialist. I was one on Active Duty assigned to the 80th Civil Affairs Battalion stationed at Ft. Bliss El Paso, Texas.
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Suspended Profile
contact a SORB recruiter.
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As of right now, there is a SOF Brigade and a Conventional Battalion for CA. If you go to Conventional route you can go in as a 68 and go to San Antonio to get your CA Medical identifier. If you go the SOF route you have to complete the CA course and become a 38 then take the W1 course to become a SOF Medical and lastly take the W4 course (CAMS). There are no medics in the 95th (the ones that are there are working out of there MOS and will not be rated by MEDCOM). That means they can be subject to being kicked out of the army for noncompliance
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MSG (Join to see)
Hey roommate. ALC at Fort Sam was a blast back in '07. Tell all the new guys that want to be CAMS what you told me. It will serve them well.
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