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For more than 239 years, Navy corpsmen have been known as
the enlisted force which has supported Marine operations and
training both garrison and the field.
These corpsmen
carry out their responsibilities in harsh conditions
alongside Marines. They are required to complete a
secondary, more rigorous course which furthers their
abilities to function in high stress situations and field
conditions in addition to the basic medical training
required of all corpsmen.
The additional training is
crucial, because corpsmen attach to operational units to
provide continuous care to service members within, according
to PO1 Morty Ervin, a hospital corpsman with the Yokosuka
Naval Hospital, Japan, who is assisting corpsmen with 3rd
Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment; currently assigned to 4th
Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine
Expeditionary Force under the unit deployment program.
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Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas McCarthy prepares to place an IV for Cpl. Walter Kowalski Jan. 5,
2016 at the U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka Branch Health Annex on Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan. The annex provides medical evaluation and care to units training on the installation and is typically staffed by less than six permanent personnel. The facility provides an area for service members in training to seek medical evaluation and care. McCarthy is a corpsman with 3rd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment; currently assigned to 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force under the unit deployment program, and a Visalia, Calif., native. Kowalski is a field radio operator with the battalion and an Amsterdam, N.Y., native. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Janessa Pon)
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“Working directly with Marines in less-than-ideal
conditions provides corpsmen with a greater understanding of
the real-world application of their training,” said Ervin, a
Denver, Colorado, native. “It allows corpsmen to build a
better relationship with Marines through shared experience.”
The interoperability of corpsmen and Marines is
exemplified in training exercises such as Exercise Fuji
Samurai, which is held annually at Combined Arms Training
Center Camp Fuji during the month of January.
The
exercise includes countless fire and maneuver drills and
other combat-based training evolutions which take place over
two weeks. During this time, Marines and corpsmen face the
challenges of CATC Camp Fuji, as they spend night after
night subject to the winter elements.
“This place
gives my corpsmen a chance to endure the same training, cold
weather and natural elements the Marines undergo here in
Japan,” said Navy Lt. Christopher Rossetti, the assistant
battalion surgeon attached to 3rd Bn. 5th Marine Regiment.
“Knowing that they are able to scale the challenging terrain
alongside the Marines and do as they do makes me confident
they can stand ready to serve in any place in the
Asia-Pacific region.”
During most training
evolutions, corpsmen are present to ensure procedures are
carried out safely and immediate medical evaluation and care
can be provided immediately, in case of emergency.
“It has been a great experience working closely with the
green side corpsmen,” said Lance Cpl. Christopher Welch,
motor transport operator, CATC Camp Fuji, serving as an
ambulance driver for the exercise. “Before working out here
on Fuji, I didn't know how involved they are in our
training. Whenever we have ranges or any kind of live-fire
training, the corpsmen are there right by our sides.”
Among the many training events, Marines and corpsmen
participated in combat marksmanship drills, during which
shooters must show proper weapons handling, combat-style
shooting and confidence with the M16A4 service rifles and M4
service carbines.
“Corpsmen carry rifles and
participate in training just as Marines do,” said Rossetti,
a Willowbrook, Illinois, native. “When corpsmen attach to
Marine units in the field, they get more specific experience
and training with line companies and infantry assets. They
are almost indistinguishable from Marines when they are
participating in Marine operations. It is this ability to
engage in training and operations in less-than-ideal
conditions which fosters the strong relationship between
Marines and corpsmen.”
Exercise Fuji Samurai is
scheduled to continue until Jan. 15 and encompasses training
with artillery, convoy safety, fire and maneuver, and
offensive combat tactics.
"It's a rite of passage to
serve with the Marine Corps and to be able to carry the
Eagle, Globe and Anchor on my chest," said Ervin. “Going
through training with Marines serving alongside them has
given me a sense of camaraderie, brotherhood and alliance
with the Marines. I love my Marines and I'd do anything for
them."
CATC Fuji continues the work of Marine Corps
Installations Pacific through its training facilities to
stand as the strength behind America's ability to respond
quickly to crisis in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region. MCIPAC
strengthens power projection with our allies and partners;
enables strategic launch and recovery of military
capabilities to save lives and to preserve regional peace,
stability and security; and enables operational force
readiness to guarantee victory.
By U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Janessa Pon
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
The U.S. Marines
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