# considering military EMS



## EMTsanders (Feb 24, 2011)

what are some opinions on the military EMS? I'm in san diego and frankly dont want to leave and the military for work is my dead last option, however jobs in san diego may be leading me to my dead last option =/ I at least wanna get an inside perspective. thanks


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## Veneficus (Feb 24, 2011)

EMTsanders said:


> what are some opinions on the military EMS? I'm in san diego and frankly dont want to leave and the military for work is my dead last option, however jobs in san diego may be leading me to my dead last option =/ I at least wanna get an inside perspective. thanks



ummm just a thought.


 If you join the military, sooner or later you will be leaving San Diego. So if you don't want to join the military, why not just start looking for civillian jobs somewhere else?


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## EMTsanders (Feb 24, 2011)

i've been looking/applying to every place i can think of. I really dont WANT to leave, but if all other options fail then i gotta leave


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## Tommerag (Feb 24, 2011)

I think the point Ven was trying to make was that it is looking like you are going to have to leave. So do you want to have to go where you are told to go, or go where you want to apply for jobs at?


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## usafmedic45 (Feb 24, 2011)

Quick questions to answer:
1.  Can you see yourself being happy in the military?
2.  Can you see yourself being happy in the military doing something you did not choose (getting put into a job other than what the recruiter "guaranteed" you)? 
3.  Do you have the moral fortitude or detachment to kill someone?

Answer "no" to any of those and you should not go into the military.  

Just my two cents as a veteran.


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## apagea99 (Feb 25, 2011)

usafmedic45 said:


> Quick questions to answer:
> 1.  Can you see yourself being happy in the military?
> 2.  Can you see yourself being happy in the military doing something you did not choose (getting put into a job other than what the recruiter "guaranteed" you)?
> 3.  Do you have the moral fortitude or detachment to kill someone?
> ...




Exactly. Don't join the military unless you want to _be_ in the military. You may join for EMS, but you'll end up doing what you're told.


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## mc400 (Feb 25, 2011)

Also miltary ems is different in many ways and if you are unsure about it, why? What turns you off about the military? If you go Army you can be assigned to any number of units from line units, cash, evac, there is a huge list. You will carry a weapon and you will need to fire it at times. And people will shoot at you and try to kill you. If you go navy you can be a sailor corpsman or a green corpsman and serve with marine units and it is basically the same as above but I would say overall better training based on saliors I know. You can go Air force and do some cool stuff as well. You know what...do it, it will make you a man, it will test you in ways you have probably not been tested. Plus college money and cool training. And yes you will leave san diego, op tempo is pretty high still. So by san diego I am guessing navy which means 7+ month tours at sea. 

Or go join the Reserve or Guard.


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## Veneficus (Feb 25, 2011)

mc400 said:


> You know what...do it, it will make you a man, it will test you in ways you have probably not been tested. Plus college money and cool training. And yes you will leave san diego, op tempo is pretty high still. So by san diego I am guessing navy which means 7+ month tours at sea.


 
Two of the expressions we used in recruiting were:

The Navy will make you or it will break you. That is a very serious risk to take to become "a man." 

Another thing we used to tell (to people we liked) "There are only 2 types of people in the Navy, those who use the navy, and those who get used by it. 

It takes a lot of effort to be the former and without it, you will definately be the later."

Don't know about the other services, but I can't see it being any different. 

In my opinion, the military is not the place for the undecided. They usually are the ones with the most or only negative things to say about it. 

You do not join the military to be in EMS, Fire, Law enforcement, electronics or any other thing. You join the Navy to be a sailor. You join the Army to be a soldier. You join the Marines to be a marine. The Airforce to be an airman. It is unwise to think that you will simply hold a civillian position "somewhere else."


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## MEDIC802 (Feb 25, 2011)

Like most others here have stated If you are going to use military service as just a "job" please do not even think about it, I cannot speak for other branches of the military but the Marine's are great, very intense training, and every marine is a rifle man first, all marine medics are Navy, reguardless of branch, recruiters will promis almost anything, my son scored very high on his test and request avation (helicopter pilot) and was promised that, ended up as a machine gunner, its all about current need, but good luck in whatever you do


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## EMTsanders (Feb 25, 2011)

thanks for all the imput just wanted a little insight. well put by everyone. except for the "becoming a man" part, which i wont ever do...because i'm a girl lol. however point well taken.


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## Super Delegate (Feb 25, 2011)

Veneficus said:


> Two of the expressions we used in recruiting were:
> 
> The Navy will make you or it will break you. That is a very serious risk to take to become "a man."
> 
> ...



+1
We used to say, "you choose your rate you choose your fate", but you would be surprised about the potential for mobility between navy billets nowadays.

If you are a smart cookie and you keep your nose clean, the entire military is your oyster. And that has everything to do with your test scores and PT scores. Don't kid yourself about your intelligence either, if you are not a brainiac, admit it and move into something more suited for you. Don't waste your time or the navys money going to flight school if you haven't taken a physics class before. Believe me, and Ven is right too, if you use the Navy with a plan in mind and goals pre-set, it could be the best time in your life and the best decision you ever made.

You can acquire medical experience every where you look in the military. 

However, the difference between medical jobs in the military and ems in the military is the "emergency" part. Most ems training is going to be based around trauma situations involving a military scenario, in other words, peeps wanna be killin' yo ***. So guess what, not only do you have to be able to fix someone in a hurry with jury-rig supplies, you have to do it while being shot at during an extrication. 

The biggest decision you have to make is whether you can take on that kind of long term challenge, and win? I'd say do it, because you never now until you pick up the ball and run with it.


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## usafmedic45 (Feb 26, 2011)

> do it, it will make you a man



No, it won't.  I know plenty of people in the military who are still childish as hell.  If the person is not mature or is truly unwilling to mature, nothing will make them do it.



> Or go join the Reserve or Guard.



...and wind up on active duty anyhow.  LOL


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## Atlas (Mar 5, 2011)

I was entertaining the idea of joining the military and focusing on working my way up the ranks to the point of Medical Officer. Leaving when I was able to and complete what was left of my schooling. Then I decided, after mulling over it and talking to people with more experience, that if I were to join the army, I would want every advantage I could get. This meant going through school and getting my Registered Nurse or Paramedic license then joining the army to pay off the school loans incurred from college. That is my current plan right now since I think that the Army is a potential wealth of knowledge ripe for the taking. But it has its thorns like everything else, they are simply hidden under promises of money and funsies.

My recommendation, for what it is worth. Look and gather as many details about all your potential options before making a choice. Rash decision, in my experience, lead to nefarious things.


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## usafmedic45 (Mar 6, 2011)

> That is my current plan right now since I think that the Army is a potential wealth of knowledge ripe for the taking



Anyone who views the military as something to be picked over like a fruit tree at harvest time should just go right ahead and lube up their anal orifice prior to raising their hand for the oath of enlistment just to be prepared for what will follow.


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## ffemt8978 (Mar 6, 2011)

usafmedic45 said:


> Anyone who views the military as something to be picked over like a fruit tree at harvest time should just go right ahead and lube up their anal orifice prior to raising their hand for the oath of enlistment just to be prepared for what will follow.



Too true, but it does not mean that opportunities aren't available.  It just means that those opportunities will be at the convenience of the military branch and not the enlistee's.


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## usafmedic45 (Mar 6, 2011)

ffemt8978 said:


> Too true, but it does not mean that opportunities aren't available.  It just means that those opportunities will be at the convenience of the military branch and not the enlistee's.


Yeah and more often than not, people never see what they were going for once they sign on the dotted line.  This is especially true during wartime.


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## judo510 (Mar 6, 2011)

I'm a Corpsman. If you have any questions on being Navy Corpsman or joining the Navy go on the corpsman.com forums. As far as my experience life in the Navy is pretty easy. Do you job, go home and don't get in trouble. Some find it hard being so young and all. If you know what you want then you just have set goals to get it. 
As far as being forward deployed to the middle east it seems that it's luck of the draw in the Navy. Your odds as a female is NEC 0000 (quad zero) you will get a ship or a hospital. Where you choose is up to you and the needs of the Navy at the current time. You could possibly request Balboa in San Diego, But if you join the Navy to see the world you should choose a hospital in a place you will never get another chance to go. I have a friend who choose Naples, Italy. 
There are female FMF corpsman who work with Marines still. Very rare but I know a few. They're not in the infantry element more in the support. I have heard stories of IED hitting a convoy and female corpmen run up to treat patients.
The Navy is what you make it. Play the "game" and you can get anything you want. If you're main concern is EMS. Asking for FMTB East after "A School" may be a consideration. If you stay in the medical field after the Navy and being a Hospital Corpsman you will have a good leg up because of the training. Just don't waste your time while you are in. 
If you have any more questions
PM me
HN Magpusao
Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton


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## 82nd medic (Mar 30, 2011)

look into what the different branches have to offer and make sure you know exactly what you're getting into. theres a broad range of assignments for military medics/corpsmen


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