U.S. Navy doctors and hospital corpsmen with 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, participated in a certification exercise in preparation for their upcoming deployment with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Africa at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Feb. 26 – March 2, 2018.
The exercise was designed specifically for shock trauma platoons and forward resuscitation surgical units to ensure the unit sustains medical proficiency and is capable of handling emergencies during future deployments. The training is held prior to deployments to also improve communication skills, resource management and teamwork within 2nd Medical Battalion.
“It’s important for doctors and hospital corpsmen to train in a field setting,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Tim Moore, an en-route care supervisor with 2nd Medical Battalion unit. “If they are able to provide excellent care with high-stress levels during this training, we are confident they will perform well while deployed.”
Initially, the sailors received service members suffering from simulated injuries and safely transported them to the medical tent. After assessing the patients, they made conclusions on treatment procedures and carried out the steps necessary to stabilize them.
“As the day went on, the instructors gave us more patients with less medical personnel to try to overwhelm the Sailors,” said Lt. Stephen Wiltshire, a medical officer with 2nd Medical Battalion. “We are all from different sections to include intensive care and emergency room units, but in this short period of time we have come together extremely well and are very cohesive.”
The sailors received patients with gunshot wounds and burns, but also acted as an aid station for less severe complications.
“I feel confident these sailors would give their patients the best possible care and the highest chance of survival,” Moore said.
With a deployment just around the corner, the sailors were forced to make time-sensitive decisions based on the severity of their patients and prove they are committed to their role and fellow service members.
“At the end of the day, our mission is to save the men and women we work with,” said Wiltshire. “This training ensures we are able to do so.”
The corpsman are the second best friend to a grunt in the fiele next to his weapon…
God Bless the “DOCS”.
Corpsman 67-75, then Commissioned as an Intelligence Officer 85-98, now retired. I was proud to have been a Corpsman above almost everything else I’ve ever done. With all the titles I’ve carried throughout my life, the one that has always and will always mean the most to me was “Doc”.
Thank you all for your Service. Always Stay Safe. Semper Fidelis
Corpsman 80-91 8th Marines Beirut & Grenada 82-84. Desert Storm 25th marines 90-91.Reserve time 6thmtbn. God Bless &Stay Safe Doc.
Was with the 2nd Med. Battalion in ’54 and ’55. Was an OR Tech HM2 and had 2 HM3’s with me. Had the OR trailer, the only A/C unit on deployment. Loved the Corps.
Do, that MARINES may live! Thanks to all the Med Battalion personnel that took over where we left off!
Corpsman 84-92 after a Med float with 2/2 in 86. I went to division schools as an instructor. We taught a lot of different classes to help the Corpsmen in the 2nd Marine Division better at doing their jobs of taking care of their Marines when something happened.
Looking for records on my deployment to the Dominican republic 2nd medical battalion 2nd marine camp Lejeune 1965-1966, and were any marine awarded combat medal.
Dominican republic 1965-1966
In 1970 I attended Supply School at what was then Montfort Point. There was a training class for new Corpsmen going on at the same time. I was very much impressed with the training they went through. And I’m proud to have two Corpsmen in our Marine Corps League Detachment in Burlington NC.
I have a lot of respect for those FMF Corpsmen who do such amazing, and often boring, work in the Med. Bns. I was mainly with C co. 1/4 grunts and chose to stay. I could never see myself returning to a Med. Bn. for duty, as I felt I was hooked on the adrenaline rush of enemy contacts. I was able, with great luck, to remain mainly with my grunts (with a few side-trip attachments) and very few regrets. We Docs have our special talents- some perform best with the Med. Bns. and some do better in the bush. Now that we are all retired from those ‘Nam years, I know that our traditions of medical service for our Marines are in very good hands still today. A personal “Thank you!” to our younger counterparts. Well done! You make us older men very proud!
Corpsmen are the ones that always run toward gunfire. They are always the Marines we count on 24/7.
My husband was a corpsman with Kilo 3/4 in Viet Nam 1969 to 1970. I have to say his Marines took very good care of him as he took care of them. Thanks Marines.
Back in 54-58 we all said the best sailors where the best when we could call them “DOC.” and they took care of us we took care of them !!
I served with 2nd Med Bn 2nd FSSG CLNC 77-79, they were a great group of professionals couldn’t ask for better. That photo brings back memories of going to the field with 2nd Med and they would grab every Marine handy and lay you down on the deck with bandages & a card around your neck with the wounds / injuries you had & they would treat you & prepare you for evac. Semper Fi 2nd Med Bn.
I was the FNG, a Sargent said to to a couple of new grunts,”never look down on a Doc, you may be looking up at him someday”.