# Army medic to contract. medic



## Jef68w (Jan 6, 2013)

Hello. i have some questions about becoming a contract medic. I am currently an active duty combat medic and about to go on my second deployment to Afghanistan. Immediately after deployment my contract is up.  How do i go about becoming a contract medic so i can go back doing the same job or something similar.


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## RustyShackleford (Jan 6, 2013)

Going to be difficult without spec ops experience the market is currently flooded with retirees with Iraq/Afghanistan experience.  Personally I think your better off getting your medic schooling done that's the route I went.


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## ExpatMedic0 (Jan 6, 2013)

Get your Paramedic cert, keep your credit clean so you can get a security clearance, and then you will be set.


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## mycrofft (Jan 6, 2013)

Go expatriate and take online distance learning while there?


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## Luno (Jan 7, 2013)

Make friends in country, spend your R/R time in training once you've found your target company, do your research, and make sure that your targeted contract doesn't expire around the time of your ETS.  I went the other way, contractor to army...


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## mycrofft (Jan 7, 2013)

Luno said:


> Make friends in country, spend your R/R time in training once you've found your target company, do your research, and make sure that your targeted contract doesn't expire around the time of your ETS.  I went the other way, contractor to army...


Did you have to go through Basic Training, AIT. etc? They almost made me go through officer basic (MIMSO) when I went from 12 years' enlisted to commissioned, they like to waste time and money that way.


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## ExpatMedic0 (Jan 8, 2013)

Luno said:


> Make friends in country, spend your R/R time in training once you've found your target company, do your research, and make sure that your targeted contract doesn't expire around the time of your ETS.  I went the other way, contractor to army...



Must have been a hell of a pay cut


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## Luno (Jan 8, 2013)

Not my finest hour, when you start playing with smaller contracts, there's some cool stuff out there, but things get hairy, and checks don't always make it into the mail (got burned big)...  Stability is nice, it's not a great paycheck though, NCO pay isn't terrible with BAH though, and not having to worry about next contract, or getting caught undermanned, outgunned and no external rescue plan...  @Mycrofft, yep, went back through Army basic (did USAF basic in early '90s) at Ft. Benning during the summer, and a shortened 68w course.


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## RustyShackleford (Jan 8, 2013)

Contractor to military...what is this insanity


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## Nerotik (Apr 15, 2013)

I am also looking to transition from civilian life to Private Security Contractor with emphasis on my Advanced EMT skills and small arms expert, especially use of Remington model 700 .308 out to 1000 meters. I am hoping my expertise with both a med-kit and a sniper rifle will make me highly desirable as an employee to security firms.


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## RocketMedic (Apr 16, 2013)

Jef68w said:


> Hello. i have some questions about becoming a contract medic. I am currently an active duty combat medic and about to go on my second deployment to Afghanistan. Immediately after deployment my contract is up.  How do i go about becoming a contract medic so i can go back doing the same job or something similar.



Brother, look into the Border Patrol. Contract positions are going to be trimmed fast, USBP is a career, and they have medics of a sort.


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## RocketMedic (Apr 16, 2013)

Nerotik said:


> I am also looking to transition from civilian life to Private Security Contractor with emphasis on my Advanced EMT skills and small arms expert, especially use of Remington model 700 .308 out to 1000 meters. I am hoping my expertise with both a med-kit and a sniper rifle will make me highly desirable as an employee to security firms.



Mods, please let this develop


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## Nerotik (Apr 16, 2013)

Yeah that would be cool but I live in Oregon and no way my girl will to Cali lol.


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## Luno (Apr 16, 2013)

Let's see, no LEO experience, no MIL experience, how exactly do you have expertise with a "sniper rifle?"  And you do understand the there is much more to the sniper than the weapon, right?   We're not even starting with the most important part of the med kit isn't in the med kit...


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## Nerotik (Apr 16, 2013)

Well as stated before I have had a firearm in my hand since before I can remember. My parents, both Marion County Sheriff's Deputies. My dad, expert marksman and was a scuba diver for the retrieval team, both evidence that people tried to dump and human bodies that had drowned or been dumped. Once mom got pregnant with me they both resigned, dad opened a gun shop and mom became a nurse. Some of my earliest memories are of me watching the shop while dad was in another room or something, I can remember customers coming in and joking with me that I was a little young to own the store, I must have been about 5 or so at the time, but I know I was 1 year old when my dad handed me a Mohawk rifle, and for the first time I was completely autonomous with a weapon in my hand. As I got older I not only got better at shooting, reloading and operating weapons in general but the types of weapons expanded. Dad started giving me more exotic ones like MAC-10, Tec-9, MP-5, Thompson sub gun, some WWII collectibles like an Arisaka that belongs to my uncle, a couple of Luger's, my first hunting rifle was a beat up old Mauser K98. when I was a teenager my dad got me a job with one of his friends named Bob Imel, he owned and operated P.A.W.S. which is a company that does firearms work for police agencies, as per the agreement he made with my dad, Bob never once paid me a dime. When he agreed to hire me dad negotiated my salary and that was a few thousand rounds at the end of the week that I could burn up on the indoor range with whichever weapon I chose and I pretty exclusively chose the full auto's. So at 15 I was spending my Friday nights on a range with a few thousand rounds of ammo heating up the barrels on MP-5's, Uzi's and a few dozen other SMG's and LMG's. I have used everything from pre civil war black powder weapons to some of the most advanced weapon systems in existence today. Even sniper rifles, now I am not claiming to be a sniper as that is a title that can only be earned by being in LE or Mil and earning it. I do however claim and with confidence that I can and have used sniper rifles, equipment and tactics when Elk hunting. To answer your question, yes I do understand that a sniper is not defined simply by the weapon. Important traits and skills for a 'Sharpshooter' to have since I cannot rightfully claim the title of sniper I will just use sharpshooter instead. The most important attribute for a sharpshooter is...... patience. Along with attention to detail, a good eye able to pick up subtle differences in color and hue to spot things in the brush that are out of place. Breathing, when your about to take a shot take one slow deep breath in, hold for a sec then exhale slow and steady when your lungs are about 80-90% empty stop exhaling and hold your breath. You have about 6 seconds to SQUEEZE slowly and steadily on the trigger before your body begins to tremble. You can increase that time with practice but first timers should expect 5-6 seconds. Keep both eyes open, learn to selectively focus on the input from one eye or the other and eventually it's like having one eye closed your brain is only focusing on the input from your scope eye but your exposed eye still sees everything. It helps with quicker follow up shots, seeing where the round splashed if you miss and also if anyone is on your weak side which you wouldn't always see if you closed your weak side eye and just focused on the scope with one eye open, makes it easier to be crept up on. Your right, I have no LE or Mil experience and I really wish I did. I would go apply for a job with the police Dept right now if I could. However, just because I wasn't there with a badge on my chest or tags around my neck doesn't mean I don't know people who were. Some of those people were instructors and experts that passed on allot of knowledge to me. So while your average Police officer or Soldier signed up when they were say 21 and then went through training for a year or so plus regular refreshers and updates to their training those officers and soldiers could be any age by now but lets focus on my generation which would put them in their mid 30's or so and if they joined at 18 that gives them the past 15-17 years or so of training off and on at the range, in Op-For exercises and even in actual combat. I on the other hand am 33 and instead of signing up at 18 and getting trained to use an M-16, SAW, M-4, M9, M203 or whatever I started at 18 months old. I have 31 years of constant persistent professional police instruction on a multitude of weapons systems from a little pocket .22 to a Barrett .50. In high school my cousin introduced me to a collector friend of his who collected Viet Nam era weapons and memorabilia. In his basement he had sandbag fox holes setup as a display to show off his seriously regulated heavy artillery and anti aircraft weapons. I wouldn't believe this if I hadn't seen it myself but he had actual AAA, M2 machine gun nest, browning .30cal machine gun, Maxim machine gun, live grenade fuses which I tried desperately to talk him into selling me one, he had a bag full of them I just wanted one lol. Mortars, an RPG tube, LAW rocket tube, anti tank and anti personnel mines, he even had tropical chocolate specially designed to not melt in the Viet Namese heat. My point is, even though I wasn't lucky enough to be able to join the military or police dept. I spent a longer amount of time with a wider range of weapons getting quality, professional instruction on those weapons at a level and for a length of time that surpasses what 99% of LE and Mil get. My dad being gunsmith was tantamount to going to armorers school. Not only can I handle these weapons with great safety and efficiency but I can and have them stripped down and cleaned regardless of the type of weapon it is. I have even repaired many types weapons and loaded my own ammo for handgun, shotgun, and rifle. Like I said though, I don't claim any title that I have not been awarded by someone who is in a place to award me with said title, I will probably never earn the title sniper or anything else for that matter because I can't enlist, but just because I don't have the title that doesn't mean I don't have the knowledge, skill, training and experience that qualifies one to have such a title. I'm not on this forum to start fights or cause drama, I hate drama. I just came here to learn, to find out the best ways possible for me to take the next step in my life. What training I need, where to get it and how to get employed after the training. I have nothing but respect for you guys and what you do, I'm sorry if I offended anyone that wasn't my intent. I wish I had been able to get the training I have by more traditional routes but that wasn't in the cards for me. So now I am here just trying to do the best with what I have and to better myself and my life for me and my family. Thanks for listening and sorry for the long rant.


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## rwik123 (Apr 16, 2013)

Nerotik said:


> Well as stated before I have had a firearm in my hand since before I can remember. My parents, both Marion County Sheriff's Deputies. My dad, expert marksman and was a scuba diver for the retrieval team, both evidence that people tried to dump and human bodies that had drowned or been dumped. Once mom got pregnant with me they both resigned, dad opened a gun shop and mom became a nurse. Some of my earliest memories are of me watching the shop while dad was in another room or something, I can remember customers coming in and joking with me that I was a little young to own the store, I must have been about 5 or so at the time, but I know I was 1 year old when my dad handed me a Mohawk rifle, and for the first time I was completely autonomous with a weapon in my hand. As I got older I not only got better at shooting, reloading and operating weapons in general but the types of weapons expanded. Dad started giving me more exotic ones like MAC-10, Tec-9, MP-5, Thompson sub gun, some WWII collectibles like an Arisaka that belongs to my uncle, a couple of Luger's, my first hunting rifle was a beat up old Mauser K98. when I was a teenager my dad got me a job with one of his friends named Bob Imel, he owned and operated P.A.W.S. which is a company that does firearms work for police agencies, as per the agreement he made with my dad, Bob never once paid me a dime. When he agreed to hire me dad negotiated my salary and that was a few thousand rounds at the end of the week that I could burn up on the indoor range with whichever weapon I chose and I pretty exclusively chose the full auto's. So at 15 I was spending my Friday nights on a range with a few thousand rounds of ammo heating up the barrels on MP-5's, Uzi's and a few dozen other SMG's and LMG's. I have used everything from pre civil war black powder weapons to some of the most advanced weapon systems in existence today. Even sniper rifles, now I am not claiming to be a sniper as that is a title that can only be earned by being in LE or Mil and earning it. I do however claim and with confidence that I can and have used sniper rifles, equipment and tactics when Elk hunting. To answer your question, yes I do understand that a sniper is not defined simply by the weapon. Important traits and skills for a 'Sharpshooter' to have since I cannot rightfully claim the title of sniper I will just use sharpshooter instead. The most important attribute for a sharpshooter is...... patience. Along with attention to detail, a good eye able to pick up subtle differences in color and hue to spot things in the brush that are out of place. Breathing, when your about to take a shot take one slow deep breath in, hold for a sec then exhale slow and steady when your lungs are about 80-90% empty stop exhaling and hold your breath. You have about 6 seconds to SQUEEZE slowly and steadily on the trigger before your body begins to tremble. You can increase that time with practice but first timers should expect 5-6 seconds. Keep both eyes open, learn to selectively focus on the input from one eye or the other and eventually it's like having one eye closed your brain is only focusing on the input from your scope eye but your exposed eye still sees everything. It helps with quicker follow up shots, seeing where the round splashed if you miss and also if anyone is on your weak side which you wouldn't always see if you closed your weak side eye and just focused on the scope with one eye open, makes it easier to be crept up on. Your right, I have no LE or Mil experience and I really wish I did. I would go apply for a job with the police Dept right now if I could. However, just because I wasn't there with a badge on my chest or tags around my neck doesn't mean I don't know people who were. Some of those people were instructors and experts that passed on allot of knowledge to me. So while your average Police officer or Soldier signed up when they were say 21 and then went through training for a year or so plus regular refreshers and updates to their training those officers and soldiers could be any age by now but lets focus on my generation which would put them in their mid 30's or so and if they joined at 18 that gives them the past 15-17 years or so of training off and on at the range, in Op-For exercises and even in actual combat. I on the other hand am 33 and instead of signing up at 18 and getting trained to use an M-16, SAW, M-4, M9, M203 or whatever I started at 18 months old. I have 31 years of constant persistent professional police instruction on a multitude of weapons systems from a little pocket .22 to a Barrett .50. In high school my cousin introduced me to a collector friend of his who collected Viet Nam era weapons and memorabilia. In his basement he had sandbag fox holes setup as a display to show off his seriously regulated heavy artillery and anti aircraft weapons. I wouldn't believe this if I hadn't seen it myself but he had actual AAA, M2 machine gun nest, browning .30cal machine gun, Maxim machine gun, live grenade fuses which I tried desperately to talk him into selling me one, he had a bag full of them I just wanted one lol. Mortars, an RPG tube, LAW rocket tube, anti tank and anti personnel mines, he even had tropical chocolate specially designed to not melt in the Viet Namese heat. My point is, even though I wasn't lucky enough to be able to join the military or police dept. I spent a longer amount of time with a wider range of weapons getting quality, professional instruction on those weapons at a level and for a length of time that surpasses what 99% of LE and Mil get. My dad being gunsmith was tantamount to going to armorers school. Not only can I handle these weapons with great safety and efficiency but I can and have them stripped down and cleaned regardless of the type of weapon it is. I have even repaired many types weapons and loaded my own ammo for handgun, shotgun, and rifle. Like I said though, I don't claim any title that I have not been awarded by someone who is in a place to award me with said title, I will probably never earn the title sniper or anything else for that matter because I can't enlist, but just because I don't have the title that doesn't mean I don't have the knowledge, skill, training and experience that qualifies one to have such a title. I'm not on this forum to start fights or cause drama, I hate drama. I just came here to learn, to find out the best ways possible for me to take the next step in my life. What training I need, where to get it and how to get employed after the training. I have nothing but respect for you guys and what you do, I'm sorry if I offended anyone that wasn't my intent. I wish I had been able to get the training I have by more traditional routes but that wasn't in the cards for me. So now I am here just trying to do the best with what I have and to better myself and my life for me and my family. Thanks for listening and sorry for the long rant.



And zero combat experience. Everything is easier when bullets are coming back at you. 

And you can't convey any of that "experience" on a resume.


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## Walter Sobchak (Apr 16, 2013)

Is this a troll? Nobody can be this dumb.


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## chaz90 (Apr 16, 2013)

Walter Sobchak said:


> Is this a troll? Nobody can be this dumb.



We're being played like a fiddle.


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## Ace 227 (Apr 16, 2013)

After replying to a few of this guys questions I just don't think I can take it seriously anymore.  This has to be a troll.

Seriously, these are entirely unsubstantiated claims.  I shot a gun once in my life before joining the Army at 20 and I'm sure my level of proficiency is perfectly adequate.  One of the first things you learn in the military is that most of what you learn about shooting in the civilian world is not the right way to shoot.  

Nerotik, listen to the plethora of sound advice being given to you. If you truly want to save lives, then become a paramedic and work in 911.  This contractor dream you have comes from watching too many bad movies.


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## Nerotik (Apr 16, 2013)

Oh well, I tried. This is just sad now. I'm glad you guys have everything all figured out and couldn't possibly ever be even slightly wrong about someone you have never even met. I'm glad I could provide entertainment for all of you. I could try to defend myself and mention the year I spent in the Army before my wrist went :censored::censored::censored::censored: house and that I qualified expert on the M-16 my first go, but you won't believe that because it's just not possible. I'm a mall ninja who thinks he is some sort of super human spec ops god of war. Not simply a guy who grew up with guns and shooting and has a natural ability for it just like kids who grow up around musicians or painters or pilots. Nope it's just not even in the realm of possibility that I can shoot like it's well like it's second nature because I have been doin it for 30 years. Although if you notice I have never claimed to be an expert medic which after all is what this forum is about and what I came here to get info on. I never claimed to be anything I am not, I'm not a combat vet as you pointed out, never claimed to be. I'm not an experienced combat medic as you pointed out, never claimed to that either. The one thing that I do claim to be and it just so happens to be true is somehow all a big lie that you guys know beyond the shadow of a doubt because... Oh yeah you have been to the range with me, you have seen my target scores, you grew up with me and never once saw a gun so it must all be in my mind. The only thing any of you have proven is that your closed minded, judgmental and seem to get your rocks off flexing your e-peens by putting down people you have never met, have no idea of their capabilities or upbringing but you see something different from you, someone different from you and that gives you the green light to judge and harass a person who's only transgression was coming here looking for information and offering a little about himself in the process. Well I am glad you all have this little fiefdom to lord over and stroke your ego's at the cost of others. I thank you for your time and attention and i truly hope you can one day learn that not everyone embellishes their abilities especially when they are only claiming to have expertise in one area and are asking for help and guidance in your area of expertise. I am sorry if I offended you in some and that's why you started with the trash talk, although I am fairly certain I never started anything but that's ok, after all your grown men and that's what grown men do, they mock and ridicule others whom they have ever met because as we all know mocking strangers is a highly honorable and respectable hobby for adults to engage in. Your mothers would be proud.


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## Walter Sobchak (Apr 16, 2013)

WTF do you have a "natural ability" for that somehow qualifies you for high risk EP/PMC work???


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## NomadicMedic (Apr 16, 2013)

Time for a break.


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