Deployment environment for military nurses

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Hey I'm new to this forum and new to the profession, but I do have a number of questions for the veterans out there. I was wondering if you could elaborate on the environments nurses in the air force or army may face while being deployed to iraq? I have been considering the reserves for a few years and I'm an ER junkie at heart. Ideally, I would like to work with a csh unit in the ER or maybe even flight nursing. Another question I have is how much protection do the medical personnel/facilities have while in combat situations? Do army nurses go on foot patrol with infantry? Last but not least, is the minimum time commitment 8 years (including inactive time) in all branches? Thank you for your time and service.

Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
BTW - If you want to go to Germany, that can be arranged through your recruiter, and dont accept anything less.

Go with Modern Arabic, differing dialects everywhere, but it covers most bases.

Thanks jg,

Okay, Modern Arabic.

Meanwhile last I heard from my recruiter he said I wouldn't know until just before I go to OBC which base would be mine. I will send him an email and ask how to make it the next group up for deployment. It is worth a shot.

Thanks,

Gen

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Do you owe the military time? Make duty assignment part of your contract, and stand firm. These ANC's I know, same rn school, wanted same duty station, werent going to be given it. Stood there ground an said we arent coming in then. They gave them their request. Get what you want up front. Make your stand now, because as a junior officer, you will pay later. :) JG

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Do you owe the military time? Make duty assignment part of your contract, and stand firm. These ANC's I know, same rn school, wanted same duty station, werent going to be given it. Stood there ground an said we arent coming in then. They gave them their request. Get what you want up front. Make your stand now, because as a junior officer, you will pay later. :) JG

Hello again,

Since my graduatin date isn't until June I do not know where I will be going and apparently won't know for a while.

Here is the content of my recruiter's last email in reply to my question of how to try to get the base next in line for deployment, (I asked him what I could do to make that happen):

[Any base can be deployed Maam and on the recruiting end of it we would

not have that information. Let's see what HSD comes up with for Base

Assignment but it may not happen yet until you graduate and waiting

license. Any way the Career Assignement Manager will be in touch with

you later before graduation and you may want to bring that up with

her/him.]

If you have the time or willingness/ability, here are some questions.

1-What is HDS and will I have a chance to communicate with them before they choose a base assignment for me?

2-who is the Career Assignment manager? I do not graduate until June and then site for NCLEX until August and then anticipate the license six weeks later.

I get the feeling from my recruiter that nothing will happen or I have no say to do anything until I have my license.

Thank you for your time JG!

Gen

edit to add: I am very new to the Army, just signed my contract on December 21st and owe the Army six active duty years.

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If you have already signed, it may be too late to bargain for your duty assignment. The career assignment manager will be in touch to let you know duty assignment, but probably 1 month before OBC. Tell them you want to volunteer for next deployment rotation to Baghdad. It might actually be hard with the press that we have been getting. During your six years you may deploy 2-3 times, the later is probably true. . The recruiters didnt give you a "wish list" for duty station?

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
If you have already signed, it may be too late to bargain for your duty assignment. The career assignment manager will be in touch to let you know duty assignment, but probably 1 month before OBC. Tell them you want to volunteer for next deployment rotation to Baghdad. It might actually be hard with the press that we have been getting. During your six years you may deploy 2-3 times, the later is probably true. Do a google search of the Deployment History of the Combat support Hospitals to Iraq and Afghanistan. The recruiters didnt give you a "wish list" for duty station?

Hello again,

Thank you for your time and advice. I will indeed let the career assignment manager to know that I want to volunterr for th enext deployment rotation.

I did get a wish list of three. I chose 1-Fairbanks Alaska, 2- Ft. Leavenworth Kansas, 3- Ft. Sam Houston in Texas.

I will also do the google surf.

Thank you,

Gen

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Hi, I'm finding this thread very interesting. I'm an Army wife and brat, and wanted nothing more than to join the Army as a medic (still would). Athsma disqualified me, but I'm hoping I can get into the Army Nursing Corps when I get my license (which wont be for a while) so I'm really enjoying all the info here. I hope that since my athsma isn't as bad, maybe I can get a waiver since, from my understanding they don't go to basic. ???? I still need info on how that works though, so any insight would be appreciated.

As for the recruiting thing, my DH "served his time" in recruiting (it's hell, let me tell ya) and there are some things they have no control of as far as what will happen with your unit once you get somewhere because it's ultimatly up what that specific group is doing. I will however agree that you should be firm and TELL them what you want. Strings may be pulled to get you what you want, it's not going to kill them if they have to work a little harder to get you what they were going to give someone else. If you have any questions recruiting wise and what is beyond their control, I could definatly find out for you.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you serving our country, it's great hearing from the very people I wished to be serving next to, and look up to today. Stay safe out there.

Soapy

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Is there a way to join the army reserves as a nurse and start directly in the emergency area of a unit or do you have to put your time in the med-surg areas first? Thank you for your time.

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sure, there is a chance...

If you have civilian ed experience, and if you are brought on board with M5 designator.

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