Do Army Combat Medics (68W) Really Heal Up The Soldiers…?
Umm… Riddled with bullets is not exactly what it’s all about. In a situation like that it is the 68W’s job to keep the patient alive until he/she can get them to a higher level of care (combat support hospital, forward surgical team, medical evacuation, etc.). And yes, believe it or not they do teach you enough in medic school to do that (if you pay attention). Much of what you’ll see is actually training injuries (sprains, heat injuries, etc.), even when you get downrange to Iraq or Afghanistan. That’s where more interesting stuff can happen, too- but as with anything else, you get out of your training what you put into it (and so do your eventual patients). I saw my share of trauma during the course of my four deployments, and never lacked for training (you do continue training after you graduate AIT, after all, too). Just be determined to keep learning. Edit: Our unit in Germany had rifles for the soldiers and pistols for the officers, so the holster was not an issue. Another unit
