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ATLANTIC OCEAN-- The crew aboard hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) celebrated the 121st birthday of the Hospital Corpsman rating during a ceremony on the ship’s mess decks June 17.
The ceremony featured a short history of the Hospital Corpsman rating, a reading of the poem “I’m the One Called Doc,” a speech from Lt. Cmdr. John Arce, a prior Chief Hospital Corpsman; and a cake cutting by the oldest and youngest corpsman aboard.
Arce, the guest speaker, shared his experiences as a prior corpsman. He also told a brief history of what the rating has accomplished since 1947, when the Hospitalman Apprentice and Pharmacist’s Mate ratings were officially merged to create the Hospital Corpsman rating.
“Today we honor the bravery, commitment and sacrifice of the corpsman who have served and are serving in harm’s way to protect the lives of our Sailors and Marines,” said Arce.
Hospital Corpsman have served in every battle in U.S. history and are one of the most decorated rating in the United States Navy.
“I couldn’t think of a better person to speak to where we were, where we are today and how we should go forward as a hospital community than LCDR Arce,” said Senior Chief Cory Anglin, the Comfort’s command senior chief.
Anglin served as a Hospital Corpsman for 20 years before becoming a command senior chief.
Anglin expressed how incredible it is to him that the crew is able to celebrate the Hospital Corpsman’s birthday at the very beginning of Comfort Deployment 2019, where they will assist in providing medical care to tens of thousands of people.
Nearly 570 Hospital Corpsman, past and present, currently serving on the Comfort recited their pledge in unison ending with, “I dedicate my heart, mind and strength to the work before me. I shall do all within my power to show in myself an example of all that is honorable and good throughout my naval career.”
Comfort is working with health and government partners in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean to provide care aboard and at land-based medical sites, helping to relieve pressure on national medical systems strained by an increase in Venezuelan migrants.
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2019 20:10 |
| Story ID: | 328004 |
| Location: | ATLANTIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 188 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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