WEBVTT

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(soft atmospheric music)
(electronic trilling)

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(electronic whirring and buzzing)

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(missile roars)

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(fast-tempo techno music)

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(explosion booms)

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- [Narrator] The submarine
is the most powerful vessel

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in the US Navy's arsenal.

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Living aboard a submarine
presents some unique challenges,

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smaller crew size, confined spaces,

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and because of these challenges,

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submarine crews develop a
special kind of camaraderie.

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One of the most important
submarine crew members

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is the independent duty corpsman, or IDC.

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The submarine IDC is the only
trained medical crew member

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on the boat.

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There are no medical officers on board

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and no other corpsman.

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The sub IDC is part healthcare provider,

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part counselor, clerk, lab
technician, hygiene expert,

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mentor, and confidant
to the rest of the crew.

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If you're a Navy corpsman, being a sub IDC

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presents perhaps the toughest
challenge available to you

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but also the most rewarding duty.

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As a submarine IDC, you
are truly independent.

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You alone are responsible for the health

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and welfare for up to 150 crew members.

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You must have the knowledge and skills

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to treat a variety of
illnesses and injuries

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because you must take care of them all,

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regardless of the severity.

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You must also manage the administration

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of the medical department

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and manage the radiation health program,

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monitoring the crew
for radiation exposure.

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You provide dental care,
manage the preventative

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and occupational medical program,

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perform medical laboratory analysis,

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manage the atmosphere control program,

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ensuring that the air aboard the submarine

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is safe to breathe, making
sure that drinking water

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is safe for crew, perform
gas-free engineering,

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certifying that confined
spaces are safe to enter,

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and you are often called upon to act

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as a confidant or mentor to crew members.

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You are the medical
department representative,

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the only enlisted department
head on the submarine,

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acting as an advocate for the
crew's health and wellness

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and as a barometer of the crew
for the commanding officer.

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You are the doc.

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It's a challenging, formidable
task made even more so

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because you accomplish
it aboard a submarine.

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You have to be able to
adapt and use whatever space

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is available for any necessary treatment.

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The conditions are daunting,

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but as one of the most versatile

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and highly trained medical professionals

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in the world, you can meet the challenge.

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The job requires intelligence, initiative,

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ingenuity, organization,
perseverance, and stamina.

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It requires the ability
to do more with less.

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Many people believe
it's the most difficult

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and demanding assignment in the Navy.

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But if you're up to the challenge,

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the rewards are plentiful.

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As a submarine IDC, you are
guaranteed an operational billet

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directly upon graduation from
submarine IDC training school.

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You'll receive submarine duty pay

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that continues when you
return to shore duty,

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proficiency pay, and sea duty pay,

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and the promotion rate is
often higher than normal.

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But beyond these
initiatives, being a sub IDC

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offers many other rewards:
true independence,

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great responsibility, and the camaraderie

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that life on a submarine offers,

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unlike that of any other Navy assignment.

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As a submariner, you'll travel
the globe with an elite crew,

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and you'll visit many
ports in many countries

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throughout the world.

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Once you finish your
first submarine rotation,

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your skills can be
applied to a large number

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of other assignments in
major treatment facilities,

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clinics, overseas billets, research units,

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dive units, deep submergence units,

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submarine tenders, and
you're also qualified

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for any surface IDC assignment.

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You might also become an instructor

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in the submarine independent duty course.

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All submarine IDCs receive their training

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at the Naval Undersea Medical Institute,

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or NUMI, in Groton, Connecticut.

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As a sub IDC student,
your training will consist

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of a 58-week course that
begins with six weeks

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at the Basic Enlisted Submarine
School, or BESS, in Groton.

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At BESS, you'll learn all
about the basic theory,

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construction, and operation
of nuclear-powered submarines.

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The course also includes instruction

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on submarine safety and escape procedures.

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(upbeat music)

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The next phase of your training consists

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of radiation health training at NUMI.

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Radiation health is a large component

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of the submarine IDC's job, and
this phase can be strenuous.

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But the NUMI instructors are there

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to help you every step of the way.

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The radiation health phase is followed

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by clinical and operational
medicine instruction.

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The curriculum is challenging and intense.

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You'll study every system in
the body and the diagnosis

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of a wide variety of
illnesses and diseases.

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You'll also study atmosphere control

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and sampling, and you'll learn how

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to perform numerous laboratory procedures.

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Soon after the medicine phase begins,

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each student is given a
simulated submarine crew

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of 15 fictitious names.

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You'll be required to create

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and maintain complete medical records

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for each member of your
own simulated crew.

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Throughout the course of study,

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each student is assigned a faculty mentor

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who is readily available
for one-on-one instruction,

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academic advising, or career counseling.

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Near the end of the medicine phase,

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you'll participate in a week

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of intensive scenario-based tests

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that will test your knowledge

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of everything you've learned in school.

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You'll also participate
in clinical rotations

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at nearby partnering
medical health facilities.

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These rotations will give
you valuable training

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in anesthesia, trauma and
critical care medicine,

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and emergency medicine.

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After clinical training, you
must pass a final oral board,

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and your simulated crew program
must also pass inspection.

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To enroll in the submarine IDC program,

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you must be a citizen of the US,

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an E5 to E7 hospital corpsman
with at least six years' time

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in service, and at least
four years' time in rate

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as a corpsman, not more than 30 years old,

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physically qualified for submarine duty,

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and with secret clearance.

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Upon completion, new graduates
with a grade point average

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of 91 or higher are eligible
for meritorious advancement

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to E6, a selective reenlistment bonus,

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and assignment to an
independent duty billet

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on board an operational submarine.

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(intense rock music)

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For a US Navy corpsman,
there's no other job

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as demanding, challenging, or rewarding

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as that of the submarine
independent duty corpsman.

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True independence.

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Great responsibility.

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Unique camaraderie.

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Take on the toughest
challenge of your career

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and a most rewarding duty you'll ever find

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anywhere in the Navy.

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Be the best of the best.
Be a submarine IDC.