I need your help. I'm deciding on which branch I should join. I'm NOT joining to get my school paid off or anything. I'm joining the military just because I always wanted to. Deployment? no problem. Sacrificing my womanhood? no problem. Sacrificing my life (just in case hell break loose)? no problem. But I do know that I want to serve the country as a nurse in the military. I just loved the lifestyle (whatever I heard it was). I have several questions for you. It would be nice if biased opinions are left out.
1) Would I be able to get ICU experience through military?
2) what would be some of the differences from these?
3) is it true that airforce, navy are more job oriented and army is not?
4) in these branches, would it be easier for me to rank faster if I was active compared to reserve?
5) what about combat training? (I do not want the whole unit to lag just because I want to pee in the army ... where navy, you have facility) .. is this a wrong info?
6) where do I get deployed within these branches?? (for navy I know you get deployed to tropical islands and such).
7) why is it that people all tell me to join the navy or airforce except the army?? (my main goal was army).
8) would i get much experience in army, navy or airforce?
9) who takes care of the marines?
please answer these if you can .. I really appreciate it :)
Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
I got deployed on the hospital ship USNS Comfort during the Gulf War. The Navy has two hospital ships. Mercy is the other one. Recently they have only gone out on humanitarian tour such as the earthquake in Haiti. My friend who is still in the reserves has gone on three humanitarian tours on the hospital ships. During the Gulf War the Navy also used to do a fleet hospital which is a hospital in a crate or tent but I don't know if they still do that. LOL tropical islands I don't know about that one! Mercy is based in San Diego & Comfort is in Norfolk VA.
thanks so much for your info.. but did they as nurses?
If I'm understanding your comment correctly, yes. Navy Nurse Corps deploy to fulfill a Nursing roll, you wont be deploying to be a combatant. Technically we, Medical Personnel, are not supposed to "fight" in a conflict, per the Geneva Convention, but, as you'll learn, "The best preventative medicine is Lead down range." Though as a Nurse this wont really apply to you. You'll be in the back with the triage and emergency surg. units, the Corpsman (think of them as enlisted LPNs, with M4s) will be providing armed security.
If I'm understanding your comment correctly, yes. Navy Nurse Corps deploy to fulfill a Nursing roll, you wont be deploying to be a combatant. Technically we, Medical Personnel, are not supposed to "fight" in a conflict, per the Geneva Convention, but, as you'll learn, "The best preventative medicine is Lead down range." Though as a Nurse this wont really apply to you. You'll be in the back with the triage and emergency surg. units, the Corpsman (think of them as enlisted LPNs, with M4s) will be providing armed security.
This is very true — we're not "supposed" to, but at least for the Army when you are in Afghanistan and you live on a teeny, tiny compound that is being threatened with being attacked/overrun, you can bet everyone has a designated fighting position and a weapon; we are always soldiers first. But it is not customary to place medical assets in harm's way.
I got deployed on the hospital ship USNS Comfort during the Gulf War. The Navy has two hospital ships. Mercy is the other one. Recently they have only gone out on humanitarian tour such as the earthquake in Haiti. My friend who is still in the reserves has gone on three humanitarian tours on the hospital ships. During the Gulf War the Navy also used to do a fleet hospital which is a hospital in a crate or tent but I don't know if they still do that. LOL tropical islands I don't know about that one! Mercy is based in San Diego & Comfort is in Norfolk VA.
thank you so much for your info! So many humanitarian work?
But it is not customary to place medical assets in harm's way.
sailornurse
1,231 Posts
I got deployed on the hospital ship USNS Comfort during the Gulf War. The Navy has two hospital ships. Mercy is the other one. Recently they have only gone out on humanitarian tour such as the earthquake in Haiti. My friend who is still in the reserves has gone on three humanitarian tours on the hospital ships. During the Gulf War the Navy also used to do a fleet hospital which is a hospital in a crate or tent but I don't know if they still do that. LOL tropical islands I don't know about that one! Mercy is based in San Diego & Comfort is in Norfolk VA.