Seven Core Army Values

“As a Soldier in the U.S. Army, your duties are to uphold the Constitution and protect America’s freedoms… And most importantly - soldiers live by the Seven Core Army values every day. The Army Values are duty, respect, integrity, loyalty, honor, personal courage and selfless service. It has never been a better time to join in the Army”

This quote explains how a soldier has loyalty, honor, personal courage and most importantly, they provide a selfless service. They also follow the laws and rules of our constitution, which means they have integrity and pride while serving our country. The men and women play a special role in the Army because they fight together and also they spend every day together. The combat medic also plays an important role because they help the wounded and help others survive the traumatic injuries they get in the field. A career in the Army is crucial to society because they are the backbone of our country, by fighting on the front lines during times of war, maintaining and protecting our freedom and it is a job that most people don’t want because they risk their lives daily.

Job Outlook 

The Army’s goal is to have a military strong enough to keep this country safe. During times of war, the demand for soldiers is higher. Currently, the demand for jobs in the armed forces is average. As stated in the Occupational Handbook, “Opportunities should be very good for qualified individuals in all branches of the armed forces through 2026. All services need to fill entry-level and professional positions as current members of the armed forces move up through the ranks, leave the service, or retire.” All armed services are always looking for entry or higher-level positions. The job outlook for careers in the army looks promising because there is a need for soldiers. According to this quote, by the time I graduate from community college, prospects of getting a job in the army will be favorable.

Work Environment 

The work environment of an army soldier varies depending on their job. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “In 2017, 2.1 million people did serve in the armed forces. There were 1.3 million people who went to active duty.” In the army, there were about 467,000 people that served active duty. There are many different work environments depending on the job that you choose when you go into the army. For example, doctors, nurses, mechanics, pilots, firefighters, police, administrative, intelligence, arts, media, combat, IT, engineer, aviation, and transport. Doctors and nurses work in a hospital and in the field during times of war. Mechanics work in a garage and firefighters work with fires and tragedies, such as car accidents.

Job Duties 

There are many job duties of a medic and they are crucial to each unit because they save lives. According to goarmy.com, the job duties of a healthcare specialist, or a combat medic, are to administer emergency medical treatment in the hospital or combat hospital. The outpatient and inpatient care is to take blood samples for analysis. Then to, prepare patients for surgery or to help them to fill out the paperwork. Also, working in the operating rooms with the doctors and nurses, and maintaining equipment and supplies. In other words, they are responsible for combat injuries, helping fallen soldiers, maintaining and carrying supplies to help soldiers in the field, and helping in the military hospitals.

Education and Training

To be able to become a combat medic you must graduate with a high school diploma. You can have a GED, but you may be limited to a role that you might not like. In high school, certain classes can help you prepare to be a combat medic. The classes you can take are science, and math classes. Biology, algebra and chemistry classes will benefit the individual pursuing this career. 10 weeks of basic combat training must be completed along with advanced individual training which takes 16 weeks.

Pros of being an Army Combat Medic

There are many pros to being an army combat medic. As an army combat medic, there are a wide number of career paths to choose from after the army. There are emergency medical technicians or paramedics. The median annual salary for EMTs and paramedics was $33,380, as of May 2017. The next career path is a licensed practical (vocational) nurse. As of May 2017, the median annual salary for an LPN (LVN) was $45,030. The last career path is a physician assistant. The median annual salary for physician assistants as of May 2017, was $104,860. As of all this information, it was after leaving the Army. The job salaries are going to be higher if you stay longer.

Cons of being an Army Combat Medic 

Some combat medics may have some difficulty finding jobs in health care after discharge or leaving the army. Employers often have difficulty understanding what exactly a combat medic does. The education for a combat medic is difficult because it is hard to translate into a civilian health care position. Coming out of the position as a combat medic in the military is difficult because they are used to treating patients that are young men and women who are physically fit. But when you are in the civilian health care, you can treat patients who are young and old.

Salary 

As an army combat medic, the salary can vary because of the pay grade. In 2018, as an E-4 pay grade which is a corporal or specialist, if they have less than two years of experience, they can earn up to $25,668 per year. Someone of the same rank, who has six years or more of experience, they can make up $31,158 per year. These earnings do not count for other benefits, such as housing allowance and health care, dental, clothing, food and travel.

Benefits

When you are with the army there are a lot of benefits. Including health insurance, life insurance, education and vacation time. The healthcare insurance benefits is a right that is called TRICARE. With TRICARE you can receive healthcare at a Military Facility. The life insurance is covered by Service-Members’ Group Life Insurance. SGLI offers up to $400,000 in life insurance. It goes by increments of $10,000. The vacation time is very generous. You get 30 days of paid vacation every year. As a soldier, you can get vacation time, weekends off, and sick time off. With the education benefits, it will fall under tuition assistance. It is also found in the Montgomery G.I bill.

Skills Needed 

The helpful skills that are needed to be an army combat medic, are enjoying helping others. One way of helping others is to comfort someone in grief. For example, a soldier who was in your platoon dies, you can offer wisdom and support when this happens. You can care for others by bringing them soup if they are sick and do not have enough strength to walk. You have to communicate effectively because you are going to be in a combat zone and you have to learn to talk nice and friendly. As a combat medic, this work is pretty stressful because many people depend on you and in some cases, their life is in your hands.

Also, you are going to listen to gun sounds if you are in a combat zone. Another skill is to pay attention to detail. When out on a combat zone there are a lot of things that are going to be happening around you. As a combat medic, the one detail to pay attention to is the patients, if there is any and if there is you have to separate people who are critical to least critical. One last skill is chemistry, biology, psychology, general science, and algebra is going to help as a combat medic.

Other topics needed 

The women in the army play a special role in the army. Women make up 15.2 percent in the Army. If you look back 20 years earlier it was 9.8 percent. If you look back 20 years earlier it was 9.8 percent. In 2014, there were 33,000 positions that were open in the spring. In 2016, there were 22 women to become officers in the infantry and armor fields. Also in may 2017, there were 18 women who graduated from the Army's first gender- integrated infantry basic training. In 2019, there were 34 African American women who graduated from West Point. 

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