Posted on May 16, 2016
Is combat required to be called a Combat medic?
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When I was in Germany in the early '80s, a fellow medic wrote on a form "Combat Medic" for his MOS. When our Platoon Sargent(a Vietnam veteran) saw that, he made the private change it, and told him that he has never seen combat, and therefore, is not a "Combat Medic". So, does one have to have seen actual combat to take the title Combat Medic, or Combat Engineer or anything else you can put 'Combat' in front of? Or is it enough to simply have served in a combat zone?
68W: Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
Combat Medic
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Edited 8 y ago
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 89
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Your argument is almost as valid as saying that anybody that writes, "Infantryman," for their MOS isn't really in the Infantry unless they've seen combat. Sgt Wilcox, you are an idot... too stupid to even correctly spell, "Idiot."
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SGT Edward Wilcox
Fuck you. I was asking your opinion, not taking a side. Maybe you should take your cock out of your boyfriend's ass long enough to actually read what I wrote. I guess understanding would be too much to hope for. Fucking squids.
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MCPO (Join to see)
And now accusations of being homosexual. All because you don't understand how the naming convention worked when coming up with titles for the various career fields. Sad - especially for someone allegedly working in a field that supposedly requires the ability to put coherent thoughts together. Print what you wrote in the OP and hand it to a friend - without speaking to add inflection - and ask them what their opinion is of what you said. You are questioning if "combat" in an MOS title is warranted if the people didn't see combat.
And I stick by my original answer.
And, lastly, if you were educated at all, you'd understand that I'm a Coastie, not a Squid, though I do consider it a compliment.
And I stick by my original answer.
And, lastly, if you were educated at all, you'd understand that I'm a Coastie, not a Squid, though I do consider it a compliment.
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SGT Edward Wilcox
You still don't get it. I know what I wrote. You don't understand what was written, don't respond. I know full well which uniform you are wearing. Doesn't take away the fact that you seem to have drank too much sea water. You are a fucking embarrassment to the service.
I know full well the naming convention. 30 years, and the MOS never had the word "combat" in it. That I can prove. I challenge anyone to show me orders awarding the MOS "combat medic". it doesn't exist.
You should know better than to comment on things you know nothing about.
I know full well the naming convention. 30 years, and the MOS never had the word "combat" in it. That I can prove. I challenge anyone to show me orders awarding the MOS "combat medic". it doesn't exist.
You should know better than to comment on things you know nothing about.
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I suppose that what you call yourself depends on where you are and what the culture of the unit is like. When I was with Infantry units, I was a combat medic to them. During the unfortunate year I spent with an Armor company, I was "just a medic" to them. Riding in a M113 was a lot easier than walking, but I'll take Infantry any day.
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As an old school medic, my MOS was "Combat Medic" as this is what we were trained to do prior to some nit whit changing us to Healthcare Specialist. It has nothing to do with combat, wear the name proudly. I have never once called myself anything else.
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I personally do not refer to myself as a combat medic because I have not deployed, nor seen combat. I understand the confusion that comes from the title of healthcare specialist and if you ask the average line soldier what they refer to us as its "medic" or "doc". Of the two I find it far more bothersome when people refer to me as "doc". I haven't earned that name and don't really feel its my place to be referred to that way. Mind you my father is a Vietnam era vet, ironically a combat medic with three years spent there, and he and all of his friends refer to me as doc just like the do to him. It drives me nuts because I feel I haven't earned the same level of respect that he did. I however have no issue with a 68W in a line unit being referred to as a medic, that's what we do.
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I have seen combat and still refer to myself only as "medic". Some medics act like they have to have that combat at the beginning as a badge of honor. But as long as I get called "Doc" by my guys that's means I am respected and trusted for the job I do
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Combat medic title is actually dependent on your unit. My first unit was a 12B (combat engineer) company making my title on my ERB "combat medic. Then I moved to my new unit who are 12N(horizontal construction engineers) now my ERB says I'm a health care specialist
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The last time I checked 12B was called combat engineer. Says nothing about having to be in combat before being called a 12B. You are trained to do a job in combat - so what?
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I personally won't call myself a combat medic. I feel like I haven't earned that title unless I see combat. I know plenty of people who have earned their CMB, and I feel like I'd be belittling their title and accomplishment by calling myself one.
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