Roll Call for all Military and VA Nurses and those considering the Service

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As the moderator for this forum ... I am interested to know where everyone is from, their background, branch of service (or VA VISN) and what they like the best about Military or VA Nursing .... this forum generally has some really good traffic, and I would like to pull all of us together and get to know one another a little better. :rolleyes:

Specializes in Med/Surg, Case Manag, Surgery.

Thanks for your response. Any reason why you would recommend the Navy over Army? How does the military decide what rank you are when you join? I know all RN's are officers but what rank options are there when you join? Who is offering the best ed. loan payoff. I don't have any loans for my BSN but my MBA was expensive.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I am both a Veterans Hospital ( VA) Rn and still a combat medic in the army national guard. I deployed with the 76th Infantry Brigade to Afghanistan in 2004 to 2005 as a combat medic, but given my background and experience. I was the senior medic at one of our FOBs out in the middle of no where. It was an experience to say the least.

Yea Im a medic in the military and not a commisioned officer like alot of my counterparts. I like being the medic. I earned my 2nd combat medical badge during this tour.. Desert Storm was the 1st one when i was active duty as a paratrooper/ flight medic for the 160th Soar.

I am in college now going for my masters degree to be a Family Nurse Practitioner I Hope to work in one of the outpatient clinics at the VA hospital where I work at now in Indianapolis. I am excited about graduate school, I am going to Indiana Weslayan University here in town.

So if anyone has any questions about working at the VA or what it is like being down range and going on patrol and convoy with the infantry and working in the FOB as a medic, give me a email. In my one year tour, I learned alot.

My email address is [email protected]

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
As the moderator for this forum ... I am interested to know where everyone is from, their background, branch of service (or VA VISN) and what they like the best about Military or VA Nursing .... this forum generally has some really good traffic, and I would like to pull all of us together and get to know one another a little better. :rolleyes:

Hello,

Roll call for me.

I have one year until graduation and am seriously considering joining the Active Duty through the ANCP, Army Nurse Candidate program.

In two days I meet with the recruiter and bring my paperwork. At 40 I am very hopeful they take me.

The biggest reason I want to join is to be a part of something so big. After working in the civilian world and in several hospitals I am so ready to join the Army. I am also interested in research and travel and have hoped to join the Army ever since I realized I was too old to do it the regular way!

Being able to join as a nurse and at 40 just makes it all the better.

Now, the only thing that I am having any difficulty is over choosing which three bases I would like. Does anyone have any advice on that? Do we really get a choice?

Thank you,

Gen

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
Hello,

Roll call for me.

I have one year until graduation and am seriously considering joining the Active Duty through the ANCP, Army Nurse Candidate program.

In two days I meet with the recruiter and bring my paperwork. At 40 I am very hopeful they take me.

The biggest reason I want to join is to be a part of something so big. After working in the civilian world and in several hospitals I am so ready to join the Army. I am also interested in research and travel and have hoped to join the Army ever since I realized I was too old to do it the regular way!

Being able to join as a nurse and at 40 just makes it all the better.

Now, the only thing that I am having any difficulty is over choosing which three bases I would like. Does anyone have any advice on that? Do we really get a choice?

Thank you,

Gen

Your age will not be a problem. I was 42 yo when I accepted reserve commission for the Army Nurse Corps.

If you are going to be in the Reserve Component, then yes you have a strong voice to which post you'd like to be assigned. However, if your going to be in the Active Component your voice becomes much weaker, so to speak [puns flying everywhere, LOL], yet it will be heard. Which three areas are you leaning towards? Maybe I can provide you with some info.

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Specializes in OR Internship starting in Jan!!.

Gen,

That's really exciting to hear! Congrats and good luck :) I went back and forth between enlisting first and then getting a degree or finishing my degree. I've finally decided I want to get my degree first, and I will be in my early 30s before I get to start the paper work! So, it is awesome to hear about other people who are joining later in life!

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Your age will not be a problem. I was 42 yo when I accepted reserve commission for the Army Nurse Corps.

If you are going to be in the Reserve Component, then yes you have a strong voice to which post you'd like to be assigned. However, if your going to be in the Active Component your voice becomes much weaker, so to speak [puns flying everywhere, LOL], yet it will be heard. Which three areas are you leaning towards? Maybe I can provide you with some info.

Hello Corvette Guy,

I am indeed looking for active duty, (I know!) My first choice is Walter Reed, then Sam Houston or Fort Bliss and third choice is in Washington State, (Fort Lewis I think?)

Meanwhile I have a year to complete my MSN and also arrange for a temporary, long term foster for my three cats during possible deployment.

I am very concerned about schedule and training, locating to bases, housing and deployment.

Gen

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Gen,

That's really exciting to hear! Congrats and good luck :) I went back and forth between enlisting first and then getting a degree or finishing my degree. I've finally decided I want to get my degree first, and I will be in my early 30s before I get to start the paper work! So, it is awesome to hear about other people who are joining later in life!

Good luck to you!

Hello,

Good luck right back to you too! It is a big choice and a big deal for both reserves and active duty.

Gen

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
Hello Corvette Guy,

I am indeed looking for active duty, (I know!) My first choice is Walter Reed, then Sam Houston or Fort Bliss and third choice is in Washington State, (Fort Lewis I think?)

Meanwhile I have a year to complete my MSN and also arrange for a temporary, long term foster for my three cats during possible deployment.

I am very concerned about schedule and training, locating to bases, housing and deployment.

Gen

I may be able to shed some light at the end of your tunnel. I was ANC Reserves for three years, and now active duty. My reserve unit was at FT Sam Houston [san Antonio, TX], and presently on active duty assigned to FT Lewis [Tacoma, WA], plus I know a couple of ANC Soldiers assigned to FT Bliss [EL Paso, TX], and my wife was raised in EL Paso.

Send me an email for further questions.

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Hello,

I'm new to this site and so far it has been very helpfull. Right now I'm a 4th year college student looking to enroll in an Accelerated BSN right after I graduate and go into the military(Air Force or Navy) as a commissioned officer. My question is do Navy nurses get to work on ships (carriers, battleships, frigates...)? And how much "flight" nursing is conducted in either Navy or Air Force??

Thanks

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I'm navy reserve nurse corps, going army for the education offers. The navy will not take nurses off deployment status during school, the army will. Career wise, the army offers more, so as a nurse giving back feels right.

If anyone out there is thinking about military nursing, compare services. Before you sign anything get it all in writing. If they refuse to put anything in writing, walk away.

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Specializes in OR Internship starting in Jan!!.
I'm navy reserve nurse corps, going army for the education offers. The navy will not take nurses off deployment status during school, the army will. Career wise, the army offers more, so as a nurse giving back feels right.

If anyone out there is thinking about military nursing, compare services. Before you sign anything get it all in writing. If they refuse to put anything in writing, walk away.

Are you going active Army, or reserves?

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Specializes in Missionary, ICU, Corrections, military.

Hello all. I'm graduating RN school in December of this year and I'm about to send in my commissioning paper work for the Air Force Nurse Corp and transfer to the Air Reserves Air Evac Squadron (Travis AFB) from an awesome 10.5 years on the E side as a 2T2X1 (Air Trans) in the Air Guard. But as with every thing else, I'm looking at going beyond and continually trying to AIM HIGHer. With the AES I'll be trained as a Flight Nurse going around the world on military and humanitarian missions. I'm proud of all those who have ever worn BDU's for the best country in the world and applaud those who have decided to sacrifice themselves and use their knowledge as a nurse or medic to serve. God Bless

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