Military medics provide first aid and trauma care on the battlefield, as well as ongoing care for injuries and illnesses. They also serve in clinics and hospitals during peacetime, and are protected by the Geneva Convention. US military medics receive extensive training and may specialize in various medical fields.
A military medic is a medically trained combat soldier responsible for providing first aid and trauma care on the battlefield, as well as supervising other medically trained troops and conducting evacuations. In the United States military, a military medic actually has a dual set of responsibilities, one geared toward peacetime and the other toward combat. In times of peace, the military physician will help address the health care needs of the military community, including troops, their dependents, and authorized civilians. In combat and military training situations, a military medic travels with units as small as a platoon & emdash; usually from 12 to 40 people & emdash; and is responsible for rendering first aid when necessary.
Military medics are also responsible for the ongoing care of their unit’s battlefield injuries and illnesses in the absence of a medic, and will routinely change wound dressings, administer medications, and provide other essential care. In peacetime, military medics serve in various ways in clinics, hospitals, and other medical facilities, as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or as trainers for other medics. When not serving in some medical capacity, military medics are generally in training, either brushing up on their skills or learning new skills.
Military medics are protected by the rules of war from hostile action: the Geneva Convention classifies the deliberate killing of a medic with the proper insignia as a war crime. In conventional battle situations, medics are frequently armed, but only with a sidearm for their own protection and the protection of those under their care. Carrying shoulder weapons or any other “offensive” weaponry removes protection against hostile action. However, as warfare evolves into the 21st century, some groups of combatants are breaking the Geneva Convention and specifically targeting medical personnel. As a result, some doctors from NATO countries carry offensive weapons and do not wear identification badges.
It was in Napoleon’s army, near the end of the 18th century, that medical units were first formally organized to provide medical care to wounded and sick soldiers in field hospitals close to the front line, and also by specially trained personnel. that accompanied the combat units in all their maneuvers. The Union Army in the American Civil War recognized the need for a system of medical treatment and evacuation of the wounded, but it was not until 1917 that the United States established the Army Ambulance Service and the Sanitary Corps as temporary units. The US Army Medical Services Corps was established in 1947. It was these units and their counterparts in the other services such as the Navy and Air Force that trained and equipped military service personnel.
The training and equipment of a US military medic is comparable to the best available to the most advanced civilian paramedics. During the Vietnam War, for example, US soldiers wounded in action had a better chance of survival than civilians injured in California car crashes. US military medics initially train as Emergency Medical Technicians and then receive extensive training both in general combat medical care topics and in specific areas of US Army special units and missions. Military may be qualified in fields as diverse as flight medic, occupational therapy, optometry, cardiovascular care, and orthopedic care.
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