Photo By Cpl. Tyler Reiriz | One of Petty Officer 3rd Class John Cantu's medical bags bears the Afghan flag. Cantu,...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – For a Marine in Afghanistan, the skills of a corpsman can be the difference between life and death.
Or in the event of a natural disaster, when the Marine Corps responds with their assistance the corpsmen provide medical capabilities that will save victims.
The skills of Navy corpsmen and other Navy medical equipment will be on demonstration at Marina Green during Fleet Week San Francisco, Oct. 6 -11.
The Marine Corps doesn’t have its own medical personnel. Naval corpsmen, or “docs,” are the medical specialists who care for Marines. They are the most medically experienced people on the battlefield and provide lifesaving procedures that keep Marines stable until they can reach a medical treatment facility.
Petty Officer 3rd Class John Cantu deployed to Afghanistan as a corpsman, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
“I am their go-to guy as far as anything medical is concerned,” Cantu said. “I do immunizations, blood work and labs. I also do a lot of Combat Life Saver training”
CLS training prepares Marines to stabilize victims of serious trauma injuries. They learn to handle hemorrhaging, concussions and more. Cantu said he made sure all his Marines were CLS certified before leaving for the deployment.
Even with the knowledge Marines gain from CLS courses, knowing there was a corpsman nearby while conducting patrols set Marines at ease.
“I trust anyone in my squad to do any rudimentary medical procedures,” said Lance Cpl. David Ehrlich, rifleman, Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. “But it really gives me piece of mind to know there is a trained medical professional who can assist in a dire situation.”
Corpsmen don’t just help Marines with their physical health issues.
“They aren’t in our chain of command, so you can really talk to a corpsman about personal issues,” Ehrlich said. “It’s good to have, psychologically.”
Corpsmen also help Marines accomplish their mission in many ways outside of keeping them physically and mentally prepared for their daily tasks.
Lance Cpl. Benjamin Woo, mortarman, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, recalled several occasions in which a corpsman gave emergency medical attention to local nationals.
On one occasion, a young boy was wounded in a motorcycle accident. A corpsman got his gear and ran to the boy’s aid. He wrapped the boy’s wounds, and the child survived.
“It is the most effective way to show the locals that we’re helping them,” Woo said. “The corpsmen always went above and beyond in helping them. Whether it was providing them with some basic medicine, or just giving them advice on health and hygiene.”
The medical assistance doesn’t just help build relationships with the civilians. Cantu said he also provided care for members of the Afghan National Army.
Cantu helped Afghan soldiers with things from heat injuries to gunshot wounds. He even helped a soldier who lost a finger in a knife fight.
“I stopped the bleeding and secured it and handled it from there,” Cantu said. “He was fine once I got to him.”
Whether treating an injury, giving immunizations or teaching a first aid class, Cantu said he loves being a corpsman.
“I get a lot of responses from Marines, kids and people I treat,” he said. “They say I’m important to them. It feels good to be a part of something that is helping not just myself, but my country.”
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.23.2011 11:16 |
| Story ID: | 75783 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 283 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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