Questions regarding military nursing

[LB17]

Hi! First and foremost I would like to thank you for taking time out of your day to read this and hopefully respond(: I'm currently a Junior in high school and I'm considering applying for the ROTC program while I begin my BSN degree in college. I'm hoping to become a Medical Surgical nurse in either the Navy or the Army one day,so I've been doing a lot of research on military nursing. I can honestly say I'm very excited about the decision I'm making. To have the opportunity to aid those fighting for our country and their families definitely captured my interest, but there were still a few things I was wondering. It would be a huge help if you could answer some of my questions(:

1)How does the Navy and Army contrast career/lifestyle wise and how are they similar?

2)What are deployments overseas like for nurses?

3)In time of combat how close are the hospitals/clinics to war zones?

4) Is there anything I should know that may not be mentioned on the army/navy websites?

Thank you again!!

[SKling]

cant comment on the contrast between the lifestyles of nursing of army/navy. I grew up an army brat, dad was a physician in the army, and I am currently AD in the navy as a nurse. Oversea deployments.... My command is in BUMED west and we get a lot of "taskers" for Kandahar. Now that the marines are filling their medical billets with nurses fulltime being "blue" and then going on a deployment with the marines is getting more slim. Kandahar is a brick and mortar deployment, haven't been but I've been told they have really nice facilities and stable wifi. if you go "green/operational" the nurses are at a level 2, level on being the devil doc in the fire squad. so you are a field "hospital" that only stabilizes the injury long enough to get to a level 3, which would be Kandahar or similar facility. the injury would then go to a level four which is in Germany or walter reed kinda facility. Havent looked to much on the website so comment unless you have specific questions. I would look into doing the navy's program and get that scholarship in you want to join the navy. The army has ROTC which is more involved during the course of your college career while the navy is more simple. that is just what I hear but could be wrong. talk with a medical officer recruiter to find out the true details, avoid the enlisted ones because they will tell you to go enlisted then put in your packet for nursing, which is never a guaranteed spot. good luck and let me know if you have any other questions and ill try to help out.

[LB17]

Thank you so much for your perspective on this and the advice!