Comments

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  Rick Gamber April 16, 2012 at 1:30pm

  After I got out (the 1st) I became an EMT in FL (1975), a paramedic (1978), went back in the Navy in 83, got pissed off because I had to do a shore duty rotation and when my detailer told me I could'nt go back to sea as a junior HM1 I got out again and did 20 yrs as a firefighter/paramedic.  Retired in 08 as a Battalion Chief.
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  Vicki Greenwood March 10, 2012 at 4:08pm

  I was proud Hospital Corpsman from Jun 1972 to May 1993.  Best coprs!!
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  Richard Oropeza March 7, 2012 at 10:19pm

  When I left the Navy on active duty, I went to work at the Los Angeles Veteran's Hospital in the operating room OJT for scrub tech but my heart was not in it and left after a few months to get what I thought was a steady job in aerospace. Boy was that a mistake three layoffs later I went back to recertify as an EMT and worked for Professional Ambulance. At the time we were the first responders for the City of Glendale, CA. Since then they went to dual role FF/Paramedics such as is almost all of Los Angeles County. I haven't recertifed in years but I think I could If I had a hankering fro getting back into Emergency Medicine.     
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  Randall L. Bruns March 7, 2012 at 8:48pm

  Should have said "after being a Paramedic for the final 20 years ".
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  Randall L. Bruns March 7, 2012 at 8:41pm

  I rec'd my first EMT license in FL in 1978, and medically-retired from EMS in 2010 after being a Paramedic for 20 years.  Never wanted to be in law enforcement or fire service, grew up with my father being in both of those professions while I was growing up.
  And you can't beat military medicine for background training.  My four ER docs and the head of Internal Medicine all wrote me recommendation letters for med school, I just knew I wasn't hardcore enough to get through med school.  Too impatient, that's why I did well in EMS.  Short patient contact time and quick treatment results.
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  Jim Decota March 7, 2012 at 7:45pm

  Let's not be so restrictive with the question! I went on to be an EMT but not a firefighter. Became a cop instead!

  I'm amazed at how many former Corpsman went on to be MD's!
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  Randall Keith Hunter March 7, 2012 at 7:44pm

  @ Jim; After I retired, I went to grad school, didn't like it and became a State Trooper. Got injured on the job and couldn't do police work anymore so after a break I became a Firefighter/EMT which I still do. So I figure with my time as a Corpsman, plus LEO, plus FF/EMT I've been in Emergency Services for 38 years.
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  jim fagan March 7, 2012 at 7:34pm

  There are 66 menber in our group just wondering how many went on to firefighter EMT after the Navy
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  Eddy Vasile March 6, 2012 at 11:52pm

  @David - "Interviewing" consisted of the short arm inspection, painful extraction of fluid with a loop up the urethra, staining the slides and checking them for the tell-tale deer tracks, and by the time you were in Olangopo,  4.8 million Aqueous Procaine Penicillin G (thick as milk) and a gram of Benemid. When I started it was only 1.2 million units :)

  The Black Clap was PPNG (Penicillinase-Producing Neisseria Gonorrhea) - it actually liked and ate penicillin.

  All this translated to huge sick bay lines with misty eyed Marines clutching the two syringes in their fists to warm them up before I shot them.

  Ah... memories.
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  Jim Decota March 6, 2012 at 9:34pm

  It's kind of ironic, but that was one of those things from my days in the Navy that served me well after! During my years in police work, every time I happened upon a situation that involved "pay for play" I was able to impress upon the purchaser some of the wonderful things he could be taking home with him! It seemed to have an impact some times!