Not sure if anyone here was responsible for this, but pretty awesome.
Sorry if old news.
This is happening
- Thread starter BleedCrimsonandGray
- Start date
Not sure if anyone here was responsible for this, but pretty awesome.
Sorry if old news.
Gratitude to those who served as combat medics during war. Heard similar words from older veterans and Mike Gentile sums it up perfectly
1 Answer
Mike Gentile, former Infantry NCO, at U.S. Army
Answered Jan 30 · Author has 130 answers and 367.2k answer views
Thanks for the request however I wasn’t a combat medic but was damn proud to serve along side them. It’s my heartfelt belief the combat medic has the toughest job in the military. They entire nature of what they do is selfless. Think about how no matter how deep in the shit you are, if someone goes down they’re breaking from cover exposing themselves to save others. Doesn’t matter they’re going to the last spot an enemy soldier was able to hit one of their brothers. They don’t go to that spot to return or put down suppressive five. They rush there slowed down with that heavy medic bag to do everything they can to keep that man alive. They do this because they know once that call goes out, “MEDIC!!” the clock starts ticking. If it’s bad they have but few precious minutes of an opportunity. They have to get there quick no matter what the danger to them is. It’s the difference I can’t imagine the guilt knowing if had you gotten to that wounded soldier just a minute or two quicker, they would still be alive. These are tight close groups of men. They are essentially family in almost every aspect. Lossing someone isn’t the same as lossing a stranger. They were friends with everyone which made seeing their friend lying there broken, bleeding or dead is part of the unseen load they carried.
Medics held a special spot for us for so many reasons. They carried not only a basic combat load but that giant medic bag as well. There was no sharing that extra weight and they walked step for step with us Grunts everywhere we went. On long road marches they would walk up and down the line, significantly adding to their own distance walked just to check on each of us. They would sneak you some antibiotics if you got back from leave and flames would shoot out of your junk when you tried to pee. They were the shoulder you cried on when some girl ripped your heart out. They’re all that and more. At least ours was.
My admiration for the medics is very personal for me. We had great one. As is an all to familiar story, we came back from deployment only for him to find Jody had taken his wife. She took the house then the kids and he took his life. I understand the heavy emotional load our medics carry. Here it is almost 30 years later and I still wonder what I could have done to save him.
1 Answer
Mike Gentile, former Infantry NCO, at U.S. Army
Answered Jan 30 · Author has 130 answers and 367.2k answer views
Thanks for the request however I wasn’t a combat medic but was damn proud to serve along side them. It’s my heartfelt belief the combat medic has the toughest job in the military. They entire nature of what they do is selfless. Think about how no matter how deep in the shit you are, if someone goes down they’re breaking from cover exposing themselves to save others. Doesn’t matter they’re going to the last spot an enemy soldier was able to hit one of their brothers. They don’t go to that spot to return or put down suppressive five. They rush there slowed down with that heavy medic bag to do everything they can to keep that man alive. They do this because they know once that call goes out, “MEDIC!!” the clock starts ticking. If it’s bad they have but few precious minutes of an opportunity. They have to get there quick no matter what the danger to them is. It’s the difference I can’t imagine the guilt knowing if had you gotten to that wounded soldier just a minute or two quicker, they would still be alive. These are tight close groups of men. They are essentially family in almost every aspect. Lossing someone isn’t the same as lossing a stranger. They were friends with everyone which made seeing their friend lying there broken, bleeding or dead is part of the unseen load they carried.
Medics held a special spot for us for so many reasons. They carried not only a basic combat load but that giant medic bag as well. There was no sharing that extra weight and they walked step for step with us Grunts everywhere we went. On long road marches they would walk up and down the line, significantly adding to their own distance walked just to check on each of us. They would sneak you some antibiotics if you got back from leave and flames would shoot out of your junk when you tried to pee. They were the shoulder you cried on when some girl ripped your heart out. They’re all that and more. At least ours was.
My admiration for the medics is very personal for me. We had great one. As is an all to familiar story, we came back from deployment only for him to find Jody had taken his wife. She took the house then the kids and he took his life. I understand the heavy emotional load our medics carry. Here it is almost 30 years later and I still wonder what I could have done to save him.
MANY Cougs pushed very hard for both short-term and long-term recognition of our own SSG Shurer's extreme heroism and service. Extremely proud of the university leadership for stepping up and making this happen.
"SF Medics.....don't leave home without one"
"SF Medics.....don't leave home without one"
