United States Navy Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman
Encyclopedia
The Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsmen are corpsmen
that provide the Marine Air-Ground Task Force
reconnaissance teams advanced trauma management associated with combatant diving
and parachute entry. The Fleet Marine Force
also have Independent Duty Corpsmen (IDC), the Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsmen (SARC), attached to the Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance
companies to help support the Command Element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force
in special reconnaissance
missions.
, deep recon and direct action
. They are also capable of conducting detailed underwater ship-bottom searches. During operational status, the teams will then be dispersed evenly throughout the Marine recon platoons; usually one amphibious recon corpsman per platoon. SARCs have regularly acted as the point man, as sharp shooters
, as the radio operator, or even the team leader
in the Marine recon teams/platoons.
The SARC has the duty of hyperbaric chamber operator: skilled in the operation of recompression chambers for hyperbaric treatment. They are also required to know laws and physics of diving
, fundamentals of proper gas mixtures
, theory and practice of decompression
and the use of decompression tables.
general technical score of 100 or higher, the last three physical fitness assessments and be able to achieve a first class swim qualification. A commanding officer endorsement is also required, no non-judicial punishment
s for 12 months and no court-martials for 24 months. The extensive training requires a commitment to serve as a recon corpsman for a minimum of three years.
Qualified recon corpsmen are sent to a "Marines Awaiting Reconnaissance Training" (MART) platoon at Camp Pendleton, CA where they train continuously. Once a corpsman passes the screening criteria, he must attend the 13-week Basic Reconnaissance Course at Camp Pendleton, CA. After BRC, the corpsman must complete training schools that include the United States Marine Corps Combatant Diver Course
, Army Basic Airborne School
and Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman Course.
United States Navy Hospital Corpsman
A Hospital Corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist for the United States Navy who serves with Navy and United States Marine Corps units. The Hospital Corpsman works in a wide variety of capacities and locations, including shore establishments such as naval hospitals and clinics, aboard ships,...
that provide the Marine Air-Ground Task Force
Marine Air-Ground Task Force
The Marine Air-Ground Task Force is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined arms task organization of Marine Corps forces under a single commander that...
reconnaissance teams advanced trauma management associated with combatant diving
Frogman
A frogman is someone who is trained to scuba diving or swim underwater in a military capacity which can include combat. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver or combatant diver or combat swimmer....
and parachute entry. The Fleet Marine Force
Fleet Marine Force
The United States Fleet Marine Forces are combined general and special purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that are designed in engaging offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment...
also have Independent Duty Corpsmen (IDC), the Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsmen (SARC), attached to the Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance
United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance
The Force Reconnaissance Companies , are one of the United States Marine Corps's special operations "capable" forces that provide essential elements of military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force ; supporting the landing or joint task force commanders, and...
companies to help support the Command Element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force
Marine Air-Ground Task Force
The Marine Air-Ground Task Force is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined arms task organization of Marine Corps forces under a single commander that...
in special reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units or military intelligence organisations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detection by the enemy. As a role, SR is distinct from commando operations,...
missions.
Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman
The SARCs are a team of 22 senior corpsmen and seventy-two junior corpsmen, trained and specialized in the same aspects of their Recon Marine counterparts, in amphibiousAmphibious reconnaissance
The concept of amphibious reconnaissance, or commonly amphib recon, are used primarily in conjunction with ground and naval reconnaissance concerning the littoral area bordering coastal or maritime areas of interests...
, deep recon and direct action
Direct action (military)
In the context of military special operations, direct action consists of: "Short-duration strikes and other small-scale offensive actions conducted as a special operation in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments and which employ specialized military capabilities to seize, destroy,...
. They are also capable of conducting detailed underwater ship-bottom searches. During operational status, the teams will then be dispersed evenly throughout the Marine recon platoons; usually one amphibious recon corpsman per platoon. SARCs have regularly acted as the point man, as sharp shooters
Sharp Shooters
Sharp Shooters is a 1928 comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring George O'Brien. A print survives in the UCLA Film and Television Archive...
, as the radio operator, or even the team leader
Team leader
A team leader or team lead is someone who provides guidance, instruction, direction, leadership to a group of other individuals for the purpose of achieving a key result or group of aligned results. The team lead reports to a project manager...
in the Marine recon teams/platoons.
Mission
The environments that Recon Marines and Recon Corpsmen face during a mission are usually hazardous. The Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsmen use their paramedic skills to provide advanced medical support and other emergency medical procedures related to the hazards of swimming, open and closed circuit SCUBA diving, and military freefall during amphibious reconnaissance operations. They also instruct and advise the recon Marines in prevention and treatment of illnesses, whether in combat or training.The SARC has the duty of hyperbaric chamber operator: skilled in the operation of recompression chambers for hyperbaric treatment. They are also required to know laws and physics of diving
Diving physics
Diving Physics explains the effects that divers and their equipment are subject to underwater.- Laws of physics for diving :The main laws of physics that govern the physics of the SCUBA diver and of diving equipment are:...
, fundamentals of proper gas mixtures
Breathing gas
Breathing gas is a mixture of gaseous chemical elements and compounds used for respiration.Air is the most common and only natural breathing gas...
, theory and practice of decompression
Phlogiston theory
The phlogiston theory , first stated in 1667 by Johann Joachim Becher, is an obsolete scientific theory that postulated the existence of a fire-like element called "phlogiston", which was contained within combustible bodies and released during combustion...
and the use of decompression tables.
- Performs routine sick call, diagnostic patient care as well as associated operational, administrative, and logistical duties.
- Performs basic anesthesia, minor surgical, basic clinical laboratory, basic radiologyRadiologyRadiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to diagnose or treat diseases...
, and other routine and emergency health care procedures as required. - Performs advanced trauma procedures in a hostile or combat environment often independently behind enemy lines.
- Instructs and advises junior medical and operational personnel in prevention and treatment of illness and injuries.
- Recognizes all types of illnesses associated with diving to include oxygen toxicityOxygen toxicityOxygen toxicity is a condition resulting from the harmful effects of breathing molecular oxygen at elevated partial pressures. It is also known as oxygen toxicity syndrome, oxygen intoxication, and oxygen poisoning...
and hypercapniaHypercapniaHypercapnia or hypercapnea , also known as hypercarbia, is a condition where there is too much carbon dioxide in the blood...
, nitrogen narcosisNitrogen narcosisNarcosis while diving , is a reversible alteration in consciousness that occurs while scuba diving at depth. The Greek word ναρκωσις is derived from narke, "temporary decline or loss of senses and movement, numbness", a term used by Homer and Hippocrates...
, type I and II decompression sicknessDecompression sicknessDecompression sickness describes a condition arising from dissolved gases coming out of solution into bubbles inside the body on depressurization...
and air/gas embolismEmbolismIn medicine, an embolism is the event of lodging of an embolus into a narrow capillary vessel of an arterial bed which causes a blockage in a distant part of the body.Embolization is...
.
Screening and training
Male graduates of Field Medical Service School, hospitalman to hospital corpsman 2nd class, who are currently serving with a Marine Corps unit may attend the screening. Candidates must have a current ASVABArmed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is a multiple choice test, administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, used to determine qualification for enlistment in the United States armed forces...
general technical score of 100 or higher, the last three physical fitness assessments and be able to achieve a first class swim qualification. A commanding officer endorsement is also required, no non-judicial punishment
Nonjudicial punishment
Non-judicial punishment in the United States military, is a form of military justice authorized by Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Non-judicial punishment or "NJP" permits commanders to administratively discipline troops without a court-martial...
s for 12 months and no court-martials for 24 months. The extensive training requires a commitment to serve as a recon corpsman for a minimum of three years.
Qualified recon corpsmen are sent to a "Marines Awaiting Reconnaissance Training" (MART) platoon at Camp Pendleton, CA where they train continuously. Once a corpsman passes the screening criteria, he must attend the 13-week Basic Reconnaissance Course at Camp Pendleton, CA. After BRC, the corpsman must complete training schools that include the United States Marine Corps Combatant Diver Course
United States Marine Corps Combatant Diver Course
The USMC Combatant Diver Course is taught at the Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center, Naval Support Activity Panama City, Panama City, Florida. Both of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force reconnaissance assets, FMF Recon and MarDiv Recon, widely use combatant diving...
, Army Basic Airborne School
United States Army Airborne School
The United States Army Airborne School — widely known as Jump School — conducts the basic paratrooper training for the United States armed forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion , 507th Infantry, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia...
and Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman Course.
Occupational Classification
After completion of Phase 1-6 listed below, corpsman holding the NEC 8404 will be awarded the NEC 8427. All other personnel will be able to perform as a qualified inside tender.- NEC 8404 Fleet Marine School graduate
- Basic Reconnaissance School MOS (0321) (9 weeks)
- Marine Combatant Dive School (7 weeks)
- Amphibious Reconnaissance Course (3 weeks)
- US Army Special Operations Combatant Medic course (24 weeks)
- US Army Basic Airborne School (3 weeks). Sailors possessing NEC 8404 will be awarded NEC 8427.
- US Army Special Operations Combat Medic ADSOCM (24 weeks). Sailors holding the NEC 8427 will be awarded NEC 8403.
See also
- U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman
- U.S. Marine Corps ReconnaissanceUnited States Marine Air-Ground Task Force ReconnaissanceThe United States Marine Corps have many reconnaissance elements that are valuable to a Marine Air-Ground Task Force by providing the force and component commanders [i.e. Marine Expeditionary Force or Landing Force commanders] with maneuver space and reaction time, and prevent enemy forces and...
- Division ReconUnited States Marine Corps Reconnaissance BattalionsThe United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions are the reconnaissance assets of Marine Air-Ground Task Force that provide division-level ground and amphibious reconnaissance to the Ground Combat Element within the United States Marine Corps...
- Force ReconUnited States Marine Corps Force ReconnaissanceThe Force Reconnaissance Companies , are one of the United States Marine Corps's special operations "capable" forces that provide essential elements of military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force ; supporting the landing or joint task force commanders, and...
- Division Recon
- U.S. Army Healthcare Specialist68W68W is the Military Occupational Specialty for the United States Army's healthcare specialist, also known as the combat medic...