“Docs” going stride for stride with the “Walking Dead”
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (Nov. 20) -- They conduct room-clearings, sleep and eat in the field alongside their Marine brethren, conduct patrols and fight next to their “green” counterparts. However, they carry a huge responsibility essential to fighting a successful war against terrorism.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/1F7D51142C7F437B852573A100495A7B?opendocument
Nov. 20; Submitted on: 11/28/2007 08:21:12 AM ; Story ID#: 2007112882112
By Pfc. Casey Jones, 2nd Marine Division
They are Navy corpsmen, and their vital role is providing care and first aid to injured Marines and doing whatever it takes to get Marines and sailors home alive.
The corpsmen of 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, are undergoing a 30-day predeployment training exercise here known as Mojave Viper.
“I receive the same training as (infantrymen) and learn all of their tactics, techniques and procedures, because I’m going to be right next to them kicking in doors and everything,” said Seaman Jacob Shepherd, line corpsman with Combined Anti-Armor Team Platoon, Weapons Company. “I can’t be (at the forward operating base) and expect to be there for my Marines whenever they need me.”
Shepherd said “Docs,” as they’re often called in the Marine Corps, are taught infantry combat tactics, techniques and procedures to assist them in quickly gaining the trust and respect of the Marines.
“I gained respect and trust from the Marines the first day I got there,” Shepherd said. “They put me in a drill where I had to provide care for an injured Marine, while the entire platoon screamed at me saying stuff like, ‘Come on, Doc,’ ‘Is he OK, Doc?’ and ‘Save my Marine.’ I responded and did my job through the chaos. From that day on, they knew I was capable and understood my job.”
Shepherd said the cliché “all Marines are brothers” has proven to be true, but also stands true for the corpsmen attached to Marine units.
“Working with Marines is awesome,” Shepherd said. “We’re like brothers here, everybody says it, but it’s true.”
Much like their Leatherneck comrades, corpsmen have many different missions, such as combating terrorism, defending the United States and looking out for the Marine to their left and right. However, Shepherd said “docs” share one common mission- returning home with all of their Marines.
“I tell my wife I don’t know what I’d do if I ever had to go to a funeral for one of my Marines,” Shepherd said. “I will always think what more could I have done. That’s the toughest part about my job. I can’t even describe it.”
The Marines said they understand a corpsman’s responsibility and feel compelled to provide protection and care for their corpsmen, in the same way the corpsmen care for the Marines.
“We look out for our corpsmen, the same way our corpsmen look out for us,” said Cpl. Christopher A. Sarlo, Anti-Tank missileman, CAAT Platoon, Weapons Company.
More than 230 years, after the creation of the Marine Corps and Navy, the relationship between Marines and corpsmen still remains strong.