Corpsman Up.........

[bigjarofwasps]

Hi Guys, Can anyone explain the US Navy/Marines Corpman Rank System....

HMC - Chief Hospital Corpsman

HM1 - Hosp First Class

HM2 " Second Class

HM3 " Third Class

HN - Hospitalman

HA - Hospitalman Apprentice

Also I believe you get additonal ranks , like E5, and stuff like that what does it all mean?

Could you like have a HM2 whose say a Staff Sgt, and a HM1 whose a Cpl? I assume that the HMC would be a Warrant Officer?

BJOW

[David S]

This is the way it breaks down.

The E grades are just that, pay grades. O is for Officers, O-1 for 2nd Lt and so on through O-10 General or Admiral.

Here's a good site that give a better explanation

http://www.bluejacket.com/usn_ratings.html#pay

HMCS - Senior Chief Hospitalman

A Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) (E-8), equivalent to a USMC Master Sergeant

HMC - Chief Hospitalman

A Chief Petty Officer (CPO) (E-7), equivalent to a USMC Gunnery Sergeant

HM1 - Hospitalman First Class

A Petty officer 1st Class (PO1) (E-6), equivalent to a USMC Staff Sergeant

HM2 - Hospitalman Second Class

A Petty Officer 2nd Class (PO2) (E-5), equivalent to a USMC Sergeant

HM3 - Hospitalman Third Class

A Petty Officer 3rd Class (PO3) (E-4), equivalent to a USMC Corporal

HN - Hospitalman

A Seaman (SN) (E-3), equivalent to a USMC Lance Corporal

HA - Hospitalman Apprentice

A Seaman Apprentice (SA) (E-2), equivalent to a USMC Private First Class

Edited March 20, 2007 by David S

[Dave Danner]

One other point of clarification:

The Marine Corps does not have medical personnel of its own. Enlisted medical personnel in the Marine Corps are Navy corpsmen, and medical officers are Navy officers.

So a Hospitalman - like a Bosun's Mate, a Machinist's Mate, etc. - are Navy petty officer ratings. They are not Marines at all.

As David notes, the "E-" just refers to pay grades. An E-4 is a Specialist or Corporal in the Army, a Corporal in the Marine Corps, a Senior Airman in the Air Force, and a Petty Officer Third Class in the Navy. As noted above, Navy enlisted ranks are referred to by their rating, so a Petty Officer Third Class who is a Hospitalman is a Hospitalman Third Class.

[bigjarofwasps]

Cheers guys, thats smashing thanks for taking the time to answer my question.

I wonder why the Marines don`t have their own medics, when they seem to have every other trade?

[Paul R]

Because the Marine Corps are under the Dept of the Navy they are, in a sense, in the same organization. When I was in the Marines, our Navy Corpsman had to go through some sort of FMF(Fleet Marine Force) School before being qualified to being assigned with us...

The funny thing about the Navy Corpsmen assigned to Marine units is that they were allowed to wear the Marine Corps uniform, but with custom made Navy rankings and ect.

Paul

[bigjarofwasps]

Cheers Paul, I assume that these guys are all volunteers, then spend their careers with the Corps?

Slighty off topic. Whats the score with a combat life saver? Are they just a box standard Marine type whose had a slightly more medical training that the others, or is this something else entirely?

In the British Army, we have Comabt Medics (RAMC) & Regimental Medical Assistants, which could be any cap badge, but had done a course to a higher standard than your basic training type level. These RMA`s I believe held the same standard as CMT`s.

[Dave Danner]

Cheers Paul, I assume that these guys are all volunteers, then spend their careers with the Corps?

Slighty off topic. Whats the score with a combat life saver? Are they just a box standard Marine type whose had a slightly more medical training that the others, or is this something else entirely?

In the British Army, we have Comabt Medics (RAMC) & Regimental Medical Assistants, which could be any cap badge, but had done a course to a higher standard than your basic training type level. These RMA`s I believe held the same standard as CMT`s.

The Combat Lifesaver program is a program instituted by the Army in the early 1990s and by the Marine Corps sometime later. Non-medical soldiers and Marines go through a course run by medics. They are trained in more advanced first aid skills than you get in basic training, the most important of which are administering IVs and performing CPR.

A Combat Lifesaver is not a medic. He or she is first and foremost responsible for his or her primary mission, and only provides medical assistance if the mission allows. For a corpsman or medic, by contrast, providing that medical assistance is the mission.

When I first was certified as a Combat Lifesaver, I had to put an IV in a fellow 2nd lieutenant's arm. He turned out to be quite the bleeder.

[bigjarofwasps]

The Combat Lifesaver program is a program instituted by the Army in the early 1990s and by the Marine Corps sometime later. Non-medical soldiers and Marines go through a course run by medics. They are trained in more advanced first aid skills than you get in basic training, the most important of which are administering IVs and performing CPR.

A Combat Lifesaver is not a medic. He or she is first and foremost responsible for his or her primary mission, and only provides medical assistance if the mission allows. For a corpsman or medic, by contrast, providing that medical assistance is the mission.

When I first was certified as a Combat Lifesaver, I had to put an IV in a fellow 2nd lieutenant's arm. He turned out to be quite the bleeder.

Cheers Dave that clears that up thank you. Hope you didn`t empty the Lt to much ho,ho,ho.