The HM Advanced Technical Field Specialties

The Hospital Corpsman rating has a long history of working with the Fleet Marine Force Special Forces, and the Navy's dive and aviation communities, and those relationships will continue far into the future. Effective July 1, 2018, Navy Recruiting Command created a new program to help fill the requirements of the three aforementioned claimants.

The Hospital Corpsman Advanced Technical Field will fill available entry level billets to pursue the following HM Navy Enlistment Classification Codes (NEC), L00A (Search and Rescue Medical Technician); L02A (Fleet Marine Force Reconnaissance Independent Duty Corpsman); and L27A (Medical Deep Sea Diving Technician).

The Navy's computerized personnel system associates the rating name with an alphanumeric Navy Navy Enlisted Manning Code (EMC). For active duty HM, the EMC is G000.

Hospital Corpsman class "A" school is approximately 19 weeks in duration, and the school is located in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

The HM-ATF program requires a six-year enlistment obligation.

After completion of HM "A" School, HM-ATF candidates track to one of the three advanced training paths: SAR Med Tech (27 weeks long), FMF RECON IDC (121 weeks long), or Dive Med Tech (27 weeks long).

Hospital Corpsman Search and Rescue Medical Technician job description

Performs aircrew and En Route Care (ERC) functions in support of Search and Rescue (SAR), tactical evacuation (TACEVAC), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), and combat SAR (CSAR) for Navy and Marine Corps Aviation.

The Search and Rescue Medical Technician (SAR Med Tech) provides ERC of routine illness and emergent patients in-flight, during peacetime and combat operations. Certifications required in Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support, Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS, or equivalent) and Basic Life Support. Required knowledge of advanced fluid resuscitation, administration and management of Advance Life Support medications, use of emergency medical equipment, rescue and recovery devices, patient handling, and aeromedical/patient movement techniques.

Marine RECON Independent Duty Corpsman job description

Provides medical and operational services for Fleet Marine Forces, Special Operations Forces and Special Operations Command personnel engaged in direct action, special reconnaissance foreign internal defense, irregular and unconventional warfare independently of a medical officer.

Performs clinical diagnostics, advanced paramedical skills, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ALCS), basic surgical anesthesia, basic dental exams, and other routine and emergency medical health care procedures as required. Performs associated operational administrative and logistical duties. Supervises and manages field medical activities in a conventional or unconventional warfare environment. Orders, stores, catalogs, safeguards and distributes medical supplies, equipment, and pharmaceutical supplies. Supervises clinical and field long term care and treatment during peacetime, CONUS and OCONUS split detachment operations. Advises and provides tactical and technical guidance to the Detachment Commander, indigenous and allied personnel. Responsible for the planning, execution and supervision of cross training of detachment members in medical skills. Required to maintain skills and certifications in Advanced Tactical Casualty Care with a greater than 96-hour patient sustainability without evacuation or augmentation. In unconventional warfare environment, instructs medical personnel, manages guerrilla hospitals and field evacuation nets; coordinates the operation, interaction and activities of medical facilities within an area of operation; manages battalion size troop medical clinic and its administrative and logistical support. Establishes a base stock of medical supplies and equipment, internal or external procurement, storage, security and distribution of those items. Coordinates veterinary training and support for area requiring animal transportation or use. When directed, conducts operational and intelligence planning, preparation and execution of detachment missions. Maintains Special Operation Forces Advanced Tactical Practitioner (ATP) requirements to include Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), USSOCOM Tactical Trauma Protocols, Basic Life Support (BLS), Prehospital Professionals (PEPP), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ALCS), and Tactical Medical Emergencies Protocols (TMEPS). Provides health care as a non-physician health care provider when assigned to fixed medical treatment facilities.

Hospital Corpsman Medical Deep Sea Diving Technician job description

Assists medical officers in prevention and treatment of illnesses associated with deep sea diving and high pressure conditions.

The Medical Deep Sea Diving Technician (Dive Med Tech) performs duties as inside tender for recompression chamber operations. Additional duties include qualifications to dive using all Air and Mixed Gas USN Diving Apparatus. Operates, tests, repairs and adjusts all USN Diving Equipment, systems and support equipment. Operates recompression chambers. Performs underwater inspections, harbor/port/ship security inspections, including ordnance searching, rescue, special warfare operations, and small boat operations. Operates Swimmer Delivery Vehicle Dry-Deck Shelter systems and submarine Lock-in/Lock-out systems. The areas of knowledge and training include but are not limited to diving physics; scuba and surface-supplied air diving procedures; and recognition and treatment of diving related illnesses.

Note: Enlisted sea shore rotation career paths for those in the Hospital Corpsman ATF program are dependent upon the Sailor's specific specialty. Sailors in the HM-ATF rating can expect 36-month sea tours followed by 36-month shore tours. Those with operational extensive NECs can expect longer sea tour lengths.

Qualifications, Interests, and Working Environment

A sincere interest in providing general health care is extremely important for this community. People in the HM ATF must relate well to others and work well as a part of a team. It is important that candidates have good communication skills, writing and arithmetic ability, manual dexterity, dependability, trustworthiness, a good memory, resourcefulness, and backgrounds or interests in the sciences.

Applicants for the HM-ATF must be United States citizens and able to ship to boot-camp before their 29th birthday.

A Physical Screening Test (PST) will be administered after shipping to boot-camp. The Sailor must meet the following minimum standards on the PST prior to their class convene date at HM "A" School: Swim: 12:30; Push-ups: 50; Curl-ups: 50; Pull-ups: 10; and Run: 10:30. Applicants must volunteer for duty involving aerial flight and be physically qualified and psychologically adapted for flight. Search and Rescue Medical Technicians (SAR) must be certified as a Class II swimmer.

Applicants must have normal color perception. Normal depth perception is required only for those entering the Search and Rescue Medical Technician (SAR) pipeline. Vision must correct to 20/20 in both eyes and correction must be worn.

In accordance with Manual of the Medical Department (MANMED), Article 15-92, applicants must meet the hearing standards for Student Naval Aviator (SNA). In accordance with OPNAVINST 3710.37A, aviation duty minimum and maximum nude body weights are 103 pounds and 245 pounds, respectively. Hay fever, asthma, bee sting/food allergy reaction and chronic motion sickness are disqualifying. Applicants for HM-ATF program are held to strict physical standards and therefore are less likely to be recommended for medical waivers.

Licensed physicians and dentists are ineligible for this rating. Applicants can have no history of drug abuse involving, narcotics, or other controlled substances with the possible exception of experimental or casual use of marijuana. Adversely adjudicated drug abuse or alcohol related offenses will not receive waiver consideration.

HM's may work alone or with supervision by other health professionals, depending on the assignment. The HM-ATF ASVAB Test requirement.

Current Opportunities for placement in the Hospital Corpsman Advanced Technical Field are good for qualified applicants. About 380 personnel currently serve in the HM-ATF program.

Personnel in the Hospital Corpsman rating are paid allowances (BAH, BAS, etc. if eligible) and billet pay (sea pay, flight pay, submarine pay, etc. if eligible), and military basic pay based on years of service and paygrade.

Credit Recommendations

The American Council on Education recommends that semester hour credits be awarded in the vocational certificate or lower division bachelors/associates degree categories for completed in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), advanced first aid, nursing techniques, health and hygiene, medical terminology and clinical technologies while attending class (A) and (C) schools.

Page written and maintained by NCCM Thomas Goering, USN (Retired).

If you are seeking information about joining the Navy, feel free to contact me.