4th Medical Battalion

[GeorgiaBoy61]

Hello All -

I am a nurse interested in the military, as some of you may know from my previous posts. While I haven't made up mind entirely about which branch in which to serve, I am especially interested in the navy right now. I live in the Chicago area, and have been told by my USNR recruiter that the closest USMC reserve unit with medical people attached is based in Wisconsin, i.e. the 4th Medical Battalion.

Anyone here assigned to a reserve navy medical unit attached to the Marines? If so, please e-mail me directly or post here; I'd love your insights and whatever impressions you can offer - particularly if you know about the 4th.

I am also interested in knowing where in the country navy nurses stand the best chance of serving with the Marines. I cannot enter on active service, but I plan to ask for assignment to AD from the reserve side once I get in. I imagine that San Diego or perhaps Camp Lejune is near the most number of Marines, but I really don't know...

Second item: I plan to get either an APN or a PA eventually, and would love to hear from those who know how the navy uses them. I already know that the army uses both extensively. PAs can do alot in the army, such as serve as unit MOs, but I was unaware until recently that FNPs could be battalion surgeons. That's the army, or so I am told. If my info is wrong, incomplete - please set me straight. But back to the USN... how are PAs and NPs used - similarly or not? To complicate matters, the USN uses IDCs - independent duty corpsmen - whose training is similar to PAs. My recruiter told me that PAs are being utilized more extensively in the navy than in the past, what about NPs?

My motivation is to get close to the action with the Marines; whatever degree will do that for me is the one I am after. If PA does it better than APN, then PA is what I'll go after. The reverse is also true.

Thanks for the input and advice -

GaBoy61