3rd Med Bat deployments

[Taylor]

Betters,

I know absolutely bumpkis about life outside of the Blue Side Hospital, so I apologize in advance for this question.

I go to FMTB (finally) in January, and after 2 months of fun in the snowy swamp, I attach to 3rd Med Battalion. Don't tell my wife, but I am itching to earn my title as "corpsman" and get over to Afganistan. Does anyone know how frequent Medical Battalion personnel deploy? I know that they haven't deployed as a whole unit for decades, and that once you get there, they train you up and ship you out, but is the deployment rotation heavy at the moment? Or am I going to be stuck stateside for half a year before putting some work in.

I would like to deploy and serve my country the old fashion way before my enlistment is up. I would re-enlist but hey...I am not getting any younger and college is calling my name. I have 2 years left.

Thank you in advance for your input.


V/r

[DanM]

Why do you need to earn the title "corpsman" ? Are you not already a "corpsman"?

[Taylor]

I am a corpman, but as you know we live 2 totally seperate lives.

All I have done so far is the hospital thing. Change beds, simple ER procedures, clean babies, wipe old booty, and hopefully done some right by my juniors newer to the Navy. That is, in part, a good service to my fellow sailors, taking care of them when they are sick stateside and taking care of thier women (or men) and children when they are away, but that is not the totality of what I signed up for.

I will be a civilian one day, and I am going to draw on my experiences here as a major shaping tool of my life. When I tell my story, I don't want it to be just this...I need to serve my country in the ways of my forefathers. The military business is american interest overseas, and that is where I need to be.

I signed up for adventure and to serve my country in the ways that my family has done going back generations, and when I turn in my CAC card, I want to be able to say "mission accomplished."

So yes...sorry for going off on a tangent, but I AM a corpman, but I want to be a COMPLETE corpman, and that won't happen until I am in harms way.


V/r

[DanM]

The only two seperate lives we live are civilian and military.Do you really think serving green side is the only way to be a "complete corpsman" ? I believe there are many blue side HM's who would not agree with you.

[Taylor]

Well, perhaps I should have stated "operational" rather then green side. I did not intend on it as a slight.


V/r

[8404]

All I have done is ... wipe old booty...

This old booty thanks you for your service HM3!:D

Give the command a call, speak with a sponsor and pose your question with them. With the current state of affairs, and your present orders to FMTB and on to 3rd Med, I'm sure the opportunity will arise for a deployment at least once in your two remaining years of service. Once you report in, do let your Chain of Command know of your desire to deploy.

Extending your enlistment contract is always an option, in order to grasp an additional deployment, if so desired.

[HM2(FMF)LM]

I left Oki in Oct. 2008 after being attached to 3rd med. The deployment rotation out there was extremly slow. I was there for two years and didnt deploy. but you never know you might get lucky. I do know some people out there that deployed. just dont count on a afghan or iraq deployment they are mostly to other asian countries after all thats what your forward deployed there for.

[8404]

... they are mostly to other asian countries after all thats what your forward deployed there for.

Just curious, 3rd Med doesn't support Afghanistan or Iraq deployments? If they do deploy, are they on a MEU or one of the hospital ships?

[IDCWife]

I believe there were some guys from 3MB with my hubs on his last round to Afghanistan. We also have a friend who just left there and he went to Iraq once while stationed there. I can get more specifics from hubs, but he is enjoying some much needed sleep right now ;)

[usn_reinhart]

i am currently at 3D med and will probably meet you when you get here... anyways YES you can deploy to afghanistan... i myself am a combat replacement for 4th marines RCAC ETT 2-8 which is in afghanistan right now... i went through all the training Block I, II, and III.... which included bridgeport, CA at Mountain warfare training center, and 29 palms Mojave Viper... i am on standby incase any of the corpsman get hurt... there are 5 guys from med BN that are in afghanistan right now... several in Iraq... and they are sending out another dozen or so to do a Shock Trauma Platoon to afghanistan... we also do many humanitarian deployments... you just have to tell them that you want to deploy make every effort to let them know... just know that you wont ever deploy as a unit with 3d med... they always send you to another unit to deploy... its kind of a wal-mart of corpsman...-

HM3

[brucehm]

when i was in afghanistan 3rd med supported my company with an STP. good guys. they had an captain that came out in an MRAP to pick up casualties...

[usn_reinhart]

Yeah I think those guys just got back... there parent command is 3rd MED bud they were with a CLR, I believe CLR-37...