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my 16 yr old son will be a Jr in HS this September. His wants to get his Eagle by May 2018 so he can sign up for a split training, Go to BCT next summer between jr & sr yr & then graduate HS & then AIT.
He wants to be a 68W. He wants to help save soldiers lives but he does not want to be in a clinic. He's always wanted to be a solider but recently focused on being a medic. What MOS do you suggest
He originally wanted to be 11B. But the more he thought about it the more he said he wanted to be a medic. But he had concerns. He is a very very...linear boy. But he is also very religious. He said he thought he would be good at being a medic but he had concerns about "Fighting against Gods will" He felt that if someone might die in combat its gods will. I explained that sometimes Gods will is that they live - and he uses the soldiers and medics as his hands. From that point on he wanted to be a medic. Now he isnt overbearing in his beliefs - he just believes in an active and present God. He wants to serve.
Also as a 16 yr old boy he finds himself wondering what sort of man he is. He wants to be tested. Thus the desire to be in combat I think. His grandfather was a combat vetern from vietnam and I think that drives his thinking. I know this will change as he matures - he is only 16...and 16 year old boys think they are immortal.
But if he wants to be 68W - I want to get him the paramedic test materials now and help him start studying. Its sort of how I roll... My eldest was nagged constantly to practice for asvab and DLAB etc and ended up getting top scores. I know once they enlist its out of my hands...so I just want them as prepared as possible for life. (I know...Im a total helicopter mom but its the only way I know to prepare to let go is prepare them for the flight).
He wants to be a 68W. He wants to help save soldiers lives but he does not want to be in a clinic. He's always wanted to be a solider but recently focused on being a medic. What MOS do you suggest
He originally wanted to be 11B. But the more he thought about it the more he said he wanted to be a medic. But he had concerns. He is a very very...linear boy. But he is also very religious. He said he thought he would be good at being a medic but he had concerns about "Fighting against Gods will" He felt that if someone might die in combat its gods will. I explained that sometimes Gods will is that they live - and he uses the soldiers and medics as his hands. From that point on he wanted to be a medic. Now he isnt overbearing in his beliefs - he just believes in an active and present God. He wants to serve.
Also as a 16 yr old boy he finds himself wondering what sort of man he is. He wants to be tested. Thus the desire to be in combat I think. His grandfather was a combat vetern from vietnam and I think that drives his thinking. I know this will change as he matures - he is only 16...and 16 year old boys think they are immortal.
But if he wants to be 68W - I want to get him the paramedic test materials now and help him start studying. Its sort of how I roll... My eldest was nagged constantly to practice for asvab and DLAB etc and ended up getting top scores. I know once they enlist its out of my hands...so I just want them as prepared as possible for life. (I know...Im a total helicopter mom but its the only way I know to prepare to let go is prepare them for the flight).
Posted in these groups: 
MOS
68W: Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic)
What Would You Do
Combat Arms
Military Career
MOS 68W: Healthcare Specialist (Combat Medic) What Would You Do Combat Arms Military Career
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 95
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All military MOS are based on the score that a person gets on his/her entrance exam, so concentrate on the pre for that test.
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Thanks! Yes I know about the ASVAB - my eldest scored 92% and qualified for all the jobs available. He is 35T. My middle son is what this thread is about. He is 16. He has similar grades in school and similar background. I already have him taking practice asvab tests and send him practice questions every day via text for him to answer. he is also study for the NREMT and ive lined up some ride alongs with the local fire department.
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(Join to see) My uncle, Dr Richard Edlich, helped to develop trauma medicine in the US during the 70s. He did so by working closely with combat medical staff (Dr.'s and medics) to make our nation's ability to deal with trauma what it is today. Combat medics save the lives of soldiers on and off of the battle field. If you are going to provide him with materials, I would strongly suggest you review your state's requirements on EMT and the progression through to paramedic. The training and certification help provide foundational information prior to jumping straight to paramedic. EMT basic may help to not overwhelm him. Check to see if there are any opportunities to shadow EMTs on road calls with Fire or EMS as well as in the hospitals. He is old enough for EMS/FIRE Explorers as well. Best of luck! If he likes computers, we need more Cyber people in our field. Already a critical shortage. FBI expects 50% more jobs than qualified staff by 2020. I already see the shortage now!
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You do have some great concerns here. Making the decision to become a 68W Combat Medic is a great choice as I have been doing it for over half my military career. This field is not for everyone life and death decisions have to be made. Personal faith is never an option. That is how some will deal with the consequences of the actions. Some times doing the wrong thing at the right time for the right reasons is better then not doing it at all. As for preparing for and educating himself, obtaining the NREMT for the EMT is a great way to start and learn however everywhere I have seen you have to be 18 to take the course. https://www.nremt.org/rwd/public/document/emt All Army medics do this first and must pass and maintain this to keep their 68W MOS. As an Army Reservist or National Guard member a lot of them do not work in this field in their civilian lives. In civilian hospitals the ER-techs or PCT can only do what the facility allows them to do and what their education allows them to do. If his career path is reserves or guard I would suggest that he go into the active military. This is where he will get the most out of his training and be allowed to do a lot more then what he would do anywhere else. Also, he will have more opportunities to specialize in other areas that reserves and guard aren't allowed to go into. Hope this helps
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68w training is a 16 week mos at JBSA. The first phase (phase IV) is getting basic emt certified. If your son gets basic emt certified in the civilian world. Then he will be considered a "excelerent" and be pushed to the second phase or (phase V) and be able to skip the basic emt training and go straight to his "whiskey" training. In order to do this he must also past the nremt which is the national registration. Practically cutting his time in ait in half.
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Davida, I can tell you from my personal experiences that a 68W (Doc) is indeed a God send when you've been wounded on the battlefield. In my humblest experience there is no greater position. A medic is usually assigned to an Infantry platoon (or other combat arms platoon); however, once within that fold of those men he is charged with caring for there is a bond, an unshakable bond, that forms. This bond is formed due to our reliance on this one medic. It is therefore in our best interest to keep him as safe as we can while we are conducting our operations. I won't lie to you and say that he will never be in danger but I can tell you that there is nothing that an Infantry platoon would not do for a man we respect and admire.
Initially it may be difficult for your son, because normally Infantrymen will test him, to see if he has what it takes to be with the platoon. If he overcomes their internal scrutinization, your son will have that "golden ticket". Meaning he is no longer viewed as an "outsider" but rather a brother who has shown he has what it takes to be among us.
If your young son does choose this endeavor know that he will be walking in the footsteps of former medics who have made the difference in many men's lives. I was able to come back home to my children because of my "Doc".
Initially it may be difficult for your son, because normally Infantrymen will test him, to see if he has what it takes to be with the platoon. If he overcomes their internal scrutinization, your son will have that "golden ticket". Meaning he is no longer viewed as an "outsider" but rather a brother who has shown he has what it takes to be among us.
If your young son does choose this endeavor know that he will be walking in the footsteps of former medics who have made the difference in many men's lives. I was able to come back home to my children because of my "Doc".
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I was an Army Grunt-11B, but that was my leaning. He seems to leaning towards medic/corpsman, etc. Good profession, a good "Doc" was worth his weight in platinum and we protected, loved, cherished ours totally. In the Army, even being assigned to a combat unit, he will spend time in clinics (Battalion Aid Stations) in garrison as well as being out with the troops. Yes he might get assignments to Hospitals ( great teaching, training time). Regardless how long his in, it transitions well into the civilian world- many of our "Docs" have ended up as EMT's, trauma nurses and even Doctors. Corpsmen attached to the FMF, USAF Para rescue, Army Combat medics will experience the most in the world, others will be stuck in clinics/hospitals. He needs to talk long and hard to the recruiters, and as suggested seeing if he can visit trauma centers or EMT's would be a plus.
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I spent most of my 22 years as a medic, (back then it was a 91 Bravo), most of my active duty time was with artillery units, although at one base I was also cross-trained as a pharmacy specialist, because we ran a clinic 30 miles from the nearest hospital with a pharmacy. But even then, both active and in the Reserves, I was still primarily a combat medic. During the Gulf War, I was the assistant NCOIC of the pharmacy in a Combat Support Hospital, but I also flew several dust-off missions as a medic. Later, when I switched to the Navy Reserves, even though I was assigned to the Naval hospital in San Diego, because of my background and experience, I was frequently assigned to train with the Marines, both during weekend drills, and my two weeks annual training.
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He might not need to study paramedics and those areas, it's all about his asvab score. I'm leaving for BCT in July, as a combat medic. I got a good score on my asvab, tell him to make sure his math skills are good. That's the main key in my opinion, that and the English section. He'll do fine, but AIT is almost 5 months, a long time. Tell him to look at all of his options before deciding!
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Send him to be a Naval Hospital Corpsman. This way, he can wind up on ships, shore commands, OR...(you'll like this, Mom) IF HE CHOOSES, he can volunteer to be a Fleet Marine Force Corpsman. That's the one that's gonna get him into direct action combat. This route, though, gives him the CHOICE: serve in areas/commands that don't require combat (likely. Nothing is ever guaranteed), OR, volunteer for the most bad-assed medic duty on the planet. His choice.
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