# Interested in joining EMS and the military



## miiikeeaj (Jul 12, 2013)

Hello,

I joined this website because I am interested in starting a career in EMS as well as joining the military.  So my main question is, what would be the best route to do?   I am debating between enlisting with the Navy as a hospital corpsman, the Air Force as an aerospace medical services technician, or the Coast Guard as a health services technician.  I am looking for as many different opinions as possible so I can make an informed decision.

-Mike


----------



## ffemt8978 (Jul 12, 2013)

Moved to appropriate forum.


----------



## FuManChu (Jul 13, 2013)

Well what branch appeals to you most? What are you looking to get out of your service in the military?

If you become a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy, it is possible to end up serving with the Marines (Green Side). You could end up a Corpsman in an Infantry Platoon going out into a combat zone, our you may end up on a Ship for a tour at sea. 

I know in the Army and Air Force you are trained up to the civilian equivalent of an EMT-B. I believe you do more than a non-military EMT, but once you get out of the service you are only trained up to EMT-Basic standards. (Someone please correct me if I am wrong). I believe this may be the same across the board for all the branches, but I am not too sure if the Navy or Coast Guard train you to be nationally qualified EMT-B's. 

Anyways, my advice would be to look into each branch and see what appeals to you more, are you looking to go out and be a field medic and possibly serve with Frontline guys? Or work more in a controlled setting, which I believe Aerospace Medical is like? Do you wanna serve on a ship? Or work in Search and Rescue more? If you are really interested an in shape, take a look into Pararescue in the Air Force, they are elite Special Operations medics, but that is a whole different ball game from just Aerospace Medical, or being a Corpsman in the Navy. 

I looked into the military a lot as I was getting ready to graduate High School, but I changed paths after I graduated and went to college instead. 

Good luck and make sure you do a lot of research before you commit to something so great.


----------



## SunshineCamo (Jul 16, 2013)

FuManChu said:


> I know in the Army and Air Force you are trained up to the civilian equivalent of an EMT-B. I believe you do more than a non-military EMT, but once you get out of the service you are only trained up to EMT-Basic standards. (Someone please correct me if I am wrong). I believe this may be the same across the board for all the branches, but I am not too sure if the Navy or Coast Guard train you to be nationally qualified EMT-B's.



I can only speak to the Army, but you are correct.  An Army medic receives lots of trauma/combat training that just doesn't line up with civilian side stuff.  It's possible to get the certifications, but you don't get them automatically.

I really think Fumanchu hit it on the head.  If you haven't, go talk to recruiters.  See if they're evening accepting recruits right now.  Go take lots of notes, and ponder the implications of each branch.  Like Fu said, if you're a Navy Corpman, there's more than a good chance you could end up attached to a Marine Corp unit.


----------



## miiikeeaj (Jul 16, 2013)

Thanks for the insights.. I would most be interested in working in search and rescue as my number one choice, and a combat environment second... the reason why I was interested in going to work in the military as an EMT is because I'm an outdoors type person (I like hiking, skiing, etc), and from what it looks like, working in the military I could work in an outdoors type environment.


----------



## 11bangbang (Jul 22, 2013)

the regular army has :censored::censored::censored::censored:ty training compared to the navy(better funding). if you do go army. go special operations, WAY BETTER and advanced training for medics. you can become a PA straight out of the army if you become an SF medic. you get 2 practice combat trauma on live animals, all sorts of skillsets.

just fyi.


----------



## RocketMedic (Jul 23, 2013)

That is not entirely correct.


----------



## mward (Jul 23, 2013)

11bangbang said:


> the regular army has :censored::censored::censored::censored:ty training compared to the navy(better funding). if you do go army. go special operations, WAY BETTER and advanced training for medics. you can become a PA straight out of the army if you become an SF medic. you get 2 practice combat trauma on live animals, all sorts of skillsets.
> 
> just fyi.



On live animals? Injured or ones you injured haha?


----------



## 11bangbang (Jul 23, 2013)

Rocketmedic40 said:


> That is not entirely correct.



yeah it is. what year you in? what mos?


----------



## Handsome Robb (Jul 23, 2013)

11bangbang said:


> yeah it is. what year you in? what mos?



If I'm not mistaken he still is currently serving or recently stopped. 

SF medics still have to go to a PA school just like anyone else, they can't just come out of the military and say "hey I wanna be a PA" and someone hands you a license. 

What you're probably thinking of is the common comparison at. SF medics practice at a level similar to that of PAs.

The biggest problem with the military is lack of ability to transition into civilian jobs without additional or repeat training after personnel leave the service because many civilian licensing/certifying agencies do not recognize military training.


----------



## RocketMedic (Jul 23, 2013)

11bangbang said:


> yeah it is. what year you in? what mos?



68W/NR-Paramedic, 5 years active as an infantry medic, now (unhappily) Guard for the next 11 months. 911 Paramedic with EMSA Oklahoma. Been there, done that. You?


----------



## Wheel (Jul 23, 2013)

11bangbang said:


> yeah it is. what year you in? what mos?



You can not become a PA without going to PA school. The army has a PA school, but SF medics do not automatically go there. Below is the link to the organization who certifies PA's and their FAQ, where it states that the only way to take the licensing exam is to graduate from an accredited program. Please stop spreading false information on topics you are not familiar with.

http://www.nccpa.net/Faq#1


----------



## Ace 227 (Jul 25, 2013)

Is this guy going to single handedly close every thread in the Military section? What EMS credentials does he even have?


----------



## Akulahawk (Jul 25, 2013)

miiikeeaj said:


> Hello,
> 
> I joined this website because I am interested in starting a career in EMS as well as joining the military.  So my main question is, what would be the best route to do?   I am debating between enlisting with the Navy as a hospital corpsman, the Air Force as an aerospace medical services technician, or the Coast Guard as a health services technician.  I am looking for as many different opinions as possible so I can make an informed decision.
> 
> -Mike


Depending upon what you actually _do_ in the Military as a Medic or Corpsman, you may be able to challenge LVN at some point. While that's not EMS, it may be an available alternate career path for you down the road. It would behoove you to look into it.


----------



## rwik123 (Jul 25, 2013)

Ace 227 said:


> Is this guy going to single handedly close every thread in the Military section? What EMS credentials does he even have?



None. He's an 11b with an OTH discharge who wants to take a WEMT class so he can join another nations army as a medic. :wacko:


----------



## ffemt8978 (Jul 25, 2013)

Ace 227 said:


> Is this guy going to single handedly close every thread in the Military section? What EMS credentials does he even have?



Let me put it this way...

The next time I have to get involved and close one of these threads, at least one person and probably more are going to get long, uninterrupted, and involuntary vacations from the forum.


----------



## Y Knot (Aug 8, 2013)

Research ANG 4N CERFP. I have the same goals as you and researched and met with all the branches over the past year and a half. Back in May I swore in and have been drilling with the Air National Guard (ANG) and love it. The CERFP mission is domestic so unless you volunteer or if they need to pull you to a broader mission, you will remain stateside and not have the chance for combat experience. You will have your NREMT out of Tech School. I was told that bc of the training 4N tech school gives, I can challenge my states school requirement and may be able to have the RN school requirement waived and take the state RN exam.


----------

