CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait -- Sailors from various units currently stationed at Camp Buehring joined together to commemorate the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps’ birthday with a luau-themed party at the mess hall here.
Corpsmen from the Troop Medical Clinic, the 2515 Naval Air Ambulance Search and Rescue Team from here, and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Camp Pendleton, Calif., celebrated the 108th birthday of the corpsman. Event participants enjoyed drinks, food, music, Tahitian-hula dancers, and a raffle with prizes.
Corpsmen serve as medical personnel for the Navy. Since the Marine Corps has no medical personnel, the corpsmen serve them as well.
“The birthday celebration of the Hospital Corps symbolizes the proud traditions that we as corpsman carry,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Don O. Bradshaw, hospital corpsman, Command Element, 11th MEU (SOC). “We’re in a MEU. We are corpsmen that are in the Marine Fleet, which is different from being with the Navy.”
“We’re sailors, we joined the Navy. But being a corpsman means that we will probably spend more time with Marines than sailors,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Hyung Lee, senior line corpsman, Company C, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 11th MEU (SOC).
Lee, who has been in the Navy for more than four years, has spent his entire enlistment as a corpsman for a Marine Corps infantry unit. Never once has he been on the blue side (stationed with a Navy unit). “When I go home and people ask me what is I do for the Navy, it’s difficult to answer.”
Because of the close relationships between the two, corpsmen are often referred to as “Devil Docs,” which is an obvious parallel to the Marines’ moniker “Devil Dogs.”
“It’s times like these that remind us about the heroics of corpsmen before us: World War I and WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and how we are a part of them. We’re part of that tradition,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Ivan G. Krimker, corpsman, 2nd platoon, Company A, BLT 1/4, 11th MEU (SOC).
“A lot people may not know it but a corpsman has two jobs, especially if they’re with a line company,” said Cpl. Joseph Casillas, squad leader, 1st platoon, Company C, BLT 1/4, 11th MEU (SOC). During the BLT’s last deployment, while fighting insurgents on the streets of Najaf, Iraq, corpsmen with the battalion would act as rifleman. “We acknowledge them as corpsmen, as the ones who will treat our injuries. But we also acknowledge them as one of us; one of the guys from the platoon,” said Casillas.
“It’s a privilege to be a corpsman, to fight alongside with Marines,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Ramon B. Debelen, corpsman, 1st platoon, Co. A, BLT 1/4, 11th MEU (SOC). I’m proud to be a corpsman.”