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Guy in Nuke school had a sleeping disorder. Only way his roommates could wake him was to drag him into the showers. How he got through bootcamp I'll never know.
Another guy's problem was as soon as he sat still for a few minutes he'd fall asleep.
Had a girl medically discharged because of her menstrations which were very excessive and causing her health problems.
One guy was discharged for going swimming and his buddies for having a drink or two. Thing was they all got drunk on the flight deck late at night while on our way to Bosnia and one guy decided to go for a swim. The Captain and Amphib Fleet commodore wasn't too happy to be awakened at 2 am for man overboard because of a drunk idiot.
A guy who worked for me, was discharged for malingering. Said his shoulder hurt, so they busted him took half his pay for two months and 60-days confinement. In the discharge physical our corpsman sent him to a civilian Orthopedic surgeon. He found a bone spur and did a endoscope out-patient procedure to remove the bone spur. The next day he was good as new. But the command had already Captain Masted him for malingering.
I have seen a lot of valid medical problems totally ruin men's careers because corpsmen with 6-weeks of training could not correctly diagnose or treat the disorder.
A guy who worked for me, was discharged for malingering. Said his shoulder hurt, so they busted him took half his pay for two months and 60-days confinement. In the discharge physical our corpsman sent him to a civilian Orthopedic surgeon. He found a bone spur and did a endoscope out-patient procedure to remove the bone spur. The next day he was good as new. But the command had already Captain Masted him for malingering.
I have seen a lot of valid medical problems totally ruin men's careers because corpsmen with 6-weeks of training could not correctly diagnose or treat the disorder.
First term enlistees in the military are at a huge disadvantage when they have a legitimate injury. The majority of 20 year's don't understand the system and are kept in the dark a lot of times by their commands due to manning requirements. The officers might express an interest in your health only to point where it effects their fitness reports...
First term enlistees in the military are at a huge disadvantage when they have a legitimate injury. The majority of 20 year's don't understand the system and are kept in the dark a lot of times by their commands due to manning requirements. The officers might express an interest in your health only to point where it effects their fitness reports...
You are correct. Enlistees are entirely expendable.
When I retired I was scheduled for a debreifing with my Commanding Officer. I was told that he would want to hear about any improvements I thought the Navy needed to make.
In my career it was to be the only time when I actually had a conversation with a CO.
I explained to him that we destroy a lot of lives of young sailors simply because we do not diagnose their diseases. HMs hand out a lot of motrin but if mortin can not fix you, we discharge you. I think a greater emphasis should be placed within the HMs to allow for one NEC that only focuses on the hard to diagnose health problems. That O6 looked at me like I was crazy and had said the most absurd thing he had ever heard. He said my debriefing was over and to leave his office.
You are correct. Enlistees are entirely expendable.
When I retired I was scheduled for a debreifing with my Commanding Officer. I was told that he would want to hear about any improvements I thought the Navy needed to make.
In my career it was to be the only time when I actually had a conversation with a CO.
I explained to him that we destroy a lot of lives of young sailors simply because we do not diagnose their diseases. HMs hand out a lot of motrin but if mortin can not fix you, we discharge you. I think a greater emphasis should be placed within the HMs to allow for one NEC that only focuses on the hard to diagnose health problems. That O6 looked at me like I was crazy and had said the most absurd thing he had ever heard. He said my debriefing was over and to leave his office.
Guess I'd been lucky. Second ship had a doctor who had no future in the Navy as an officer. During our ship yard period our division was being worked very long hours, more than when at sea. We were being rushed to get the ship ready so we could head to Italy to replace the Sixth Fleet Flag ship. We were all becoming very sick, especially with it being winter in Portsmouth. When the doctor found out our schedule, he immediately ordered the usual medication and 24hrs bed rest, which for us meant the dorm rooms. Our chief, division officer, chief engineer, and even the CO tried to come down hard on the doc. He was ready with military regulations regarding medical decisions, medical journals, and the fact that the ship was not getting ready for any combat situations. He stood his ground and won the argument. Of course, he lost any chance for good reviews from that CO (who was later replaced before the doc was to leave the command. After the doc's decision, our work schedule was changed to working 24 hours straight and 24 hours off with our division divided in half and no weekends off (which we didn't have before anyway). Angry is an understatement when we spent every weekend working in the engineroom while almost every other division on the ship got liberty at normal hours and almost every weekend off. The only good part about the situation is the crew members who allowed the engine room to get in such sorry shape in the first place were right there with us and complaining louder than those who'd just arrived while it was in the yards. Was happy to hear that rust bucket was scrapped. Just wish I could have put a torch to it a few times myself.
Guess I'd been lucky. Second ship had a doctor who had no future in the Navy as an officer. During our ship yard period our division was being worked very long hours, more than when at sea. We were being rushed to get the ship ready so we could head to Italy to replace the Sixth Fleet Flag ship. We were all becoming very sick, especially with it being winter in Portsmouth. When the doctor found out our schedule, he immediately ordered the usual medication and 24hrs bed rest, which for us meant the dorm rooms. Our chief, division officer, chief engineer, and even the CO tried to come down hard on the doc. He was ready with military regulations regarding medical decisions, medical journals, and the fact that the ship was not getting ready for any combat situations. He stood his ground and won the argument. Of course, he lost any chance for good reviews from that CO (who was later replaced before the doc was to leave the command. After the doc's decision, our work schedule was changed to working 24 hours straight and 24 hours off with our division divided in half and no weekends off (which we didn't have before anyway). Angry is an understatement when we spent every weekend working in the engineroom while almost every other division on the ship got liberty at normal hours and almost every weekend off. The only good part about the situation is the crew members who allowed the engine room to get in such sorry shape in the first place were right there with us and complaining louder than those who'd just arrived while it was in the yards. Was happy to hear that rust bucket was scrapped. Just wish I could have put a torch to it a few times myself.
I served on four different vessels.
One of them had a doctor [with college and medical school background], he served as Department Head and spent much of his time in meetings. While HMs treated patients and inspected the mess decks.
The other three vessels I served onboard each had one HM; who treated patients, inspected the mess decks and served as Medical Officer and Department Head.
One of them had a doctor [with college and medical school background], he served as Department Head and spent much of his time in meetings. While HMs treated patients and inspected the mess decks.
The other three vessels I served onboard each had one HM; who treated patients, inspected the mess decks and served as Medical Officer and Department Head.
Scary when you have a HM who has less training than a RN making medical decisions which can effect your whole life.
Also I have posted before on Navy doc life and how their future is effected by being doing the Navy thing...
Scary when you have a HM who has less training than a RN making medical decisions which can effect your whole life.
Also I have posted before on Navy doc life and how their future is effected by being doing the Navy thing...
HMs set broken bones, suture a wide assortment of 'industrial' accident wounds, administer chemical 'restraints' when sailors become claustrophobic at-sea, and they deliver our wive's babies when we are in port. They are 100% of the Health Care and Medical support that many sailors will experience during their careers.
On one boat, our Division was assigned to be stretcher-bearers and HM assistants. So we were trained to put in IVs and to do suturing [above the normal CPR and EMT training that we were already required to have].
In the context of Medical Personnel with a few weeks of training and put to OJT use; HMs are pretty good over-all.
My sis is an HMCS now, and an IDC to boot. She is also her dept head and has to go to meetings. She is very good and takes care of her sailors but I think she is the exception not the rule.
i ran into many HM's that if I was bleeding and I saw them coming towards me I might have just beat my head against the wall instead haha
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