Combat medics provide medical care on the battlefield and are trained as soldiers. They wear insignia and are treated as non-combatants. Modern warfare has led to advances in battlefield medicine, making catastrophic injuries survivable and increasing the need for medical personnel.
The term “physician” can be applied to any type of medic, but most people use it to refer specifically to a combat medic, a soldier who is also trained to provide medical care. On the battlefield, medics are extremely important, as they stabilize patients and provide first aid to ensure their patients reach field hospitals for more extensive medical treatment. A doctor may also provide general and basic health care to his unit and many modern doctors are highly trained; in some cases, they are actually fully qualified doctors.
The history of combat medics is quite ancient. Ever since humans have been waging war, they have been hurting each other, and the convention of a team of soldiers tasked with providing medical care has been around for a long time. Historical physicians had varying levels of training and accessible tools, sometimes limited to a few weeks or days of basic first aid training and sometimes much more extensive medical training. All medical personnel recognize the need for quick cures in medical treatment and as a result, doctors have become much more sophisticated.
As a general rule, medics are treated as non-combatants, although they may carry sidearms or other weapons for self-defense. Medics also wear insignia that clearly identify them in battle; most commonly, the insignia is a red religious symbol such as a cross or crescent on a white background. Shooting medics is considered a war crime under the Geneva Convention and medics are generally treated with respect by soldiers on both sides.
All medics are trained as soldiers so they are able to defend themselves and assess situations. At the most basic level, a medic can be trained as a civilian paramedic, capable of providing immediate medical attention to patients in urgent need. Physicians can start IV lines, administer medications, and perform other basic medical interventions designed to make a patient safe for transport. In a situation where a patient cannot be moved because they are trapped by battle activity, the clinician stays with the patient to keep them stable until evacuation is possible.
Modern warfare has radically changed medics, who make survival of even catastrophic injuries possible with new medical tools and much better training. Gulf War II saw tremendous advances in battlefield medicine, all focused on making patients stable and sending them for treatment in more advanced facilities. Injuries such as battlefield amputations are commonly survivable, in stark contrast to previous military injuries. Ironically, this increased quality of medical care placed a heavy burden on military hospitals and healthcare personnel, increasing the number of patients needing treatment. As a result, several armies have extensive recruitment campaigns targeting doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
