# ..There a need for FMF Corpsman and SARCs?



## bcrimz47 (Sep 25, 2015)

HI everyone,

I just joined the site yesterday but have been on here watching for awhile. My question is pretty much stated in the title : Is there a need/openings for FMF corpsman and SARCs right now? I ask this question because since I met who is now my good friend at school I want to be a FMF Corpsman like he is. Before I wanted to tryout to be a PJ but he convinced me Corpsman was a better route for me with all the other opportunities that come with it (FMF, MARSOC, Marine Sniper Units, Force Recon, Recon) . I had my first meeting with my recruiter Monday he is a Navy recruiter and I told him I want to be a FMF Corpsman and he basically told me there is not going to be any openings for Corpsman anytime in the near future because it's the most overmanned job in the Navy. I've gotten conflicting responses from people like my friend who says his unit is very undermanned for corpsman. So I don't know if the recruiters were honest or if they just wanted to push me towards a different job but is there anyone that knows about the need for FMF Corpsman and if I ever get to this point the need for SARCs in the Marines right now?


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## Florida173 (Sep 25, 2015)

Is it because of the liters of beer I've drank already, or is that really difficult to read?


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## Scubadew (Sep 26, 2015)

The Corpsman rate is overmanned.

8404 FMF NEC is overmanned. 

SARCs are critically *undermanned.
*


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## Teufel (Sep 26, 2015)

Scubadew is right.  SARCs are heavily undermanned right now.


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## The Hate Ape (Sep 26, 2015)

If a manning quota dictates your future, good luck ever having one in any military career.

Pick your job - if the recruiter says no, tough shit, tell him you'll wait until its open again. The problem these days is that guys come in wanting everything to happen right away and envision some glorious trailblazing route to being in the SOF community. 

"I wanted to be a PJ but now I want to be a SARC because so-and-so told me such-and-such."

The truth is that you don't know anything, I doubt your friend does either, and recruiters are exactly what they are - fucking recruiters. You'll come in wanting to be a FMF and walk out a future signals analyst or something.

My advice is for you to genuinely understand the mission statement of any organization you seek to join and if SOF is in your heart, look at what they have to offer within their realm. Once you find something that jives; take the best (effective & immediate) route to get your foot in the door. 

Crazy thought: I advise you to consider a profession that is initially rewarding, a lot of guys who didn't make it through any selection never had a plan B until it was too late. A contract is a contract - 4 years minimum.

FMF Doc can be a good gig, I've known a lot of good dudes who were both corpsman and SARCs. To answer your question, refer to scuba.

If that is your path, the one YOU have chosen, go to a Navy recruiter and state that you wish only to be an FMF corpsman - if he has "nothing available" walk. Yes, walk. Leave your number or contact another recruiter, let him figure out how to get you in the way you want to go in. You owe him nothing but you being successfully entered into the military benefits him personally in terms not worth explaining. 

The BLUF: get a guaranteed contract and don't let anyone convince you to do some other shit just to get in a month earlier. Go chase girls and PT while you wait for your job opening. Don't psyche yourself out of your own plan either.


H/A


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## AWP (Sep 26, 2015)

The Hate Ape said:


> If that is your path, the one YOU have chosen, go to a Navy recruiter and state that you wish only to be an FMF corpsman - if he has "nothing available" walk. Yes, walk. Leave your number or contact another recruiter, let him figure out how to get you in the way you want to go in. You owe him nothing but you being successfully entered into the military benefits him personally in terms not worth explaining.
> 
> The BLUF: get a guaranteed contract and don't let anyone convince you to do some other shit just to get in a month earlier. Go chase girls and PT while you wait for your job opening. Don't psyche yourself out of your own plan either.



This is the answer to about 90% of the recruiting questions we see on this board. The OP and everyone like him would be well advised to take this to heart.


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## bcrimz47 (Sep 26, 2015)

I appreciate all the advice especially The Hate Ape I completely get what you're saying and based off what you said I'll try to explain myself better.

I'm willing to wait for FMF Corpsman and I know that could be a potentially long wait, my recruiter said I would realistically be going to basic in June at the earliest with any rate I ended up getting so I understand and will be willing to wait. 

Me switching my goal from Pararescue to SARC is based off of talking to people who were PJs on the phone and email for awhile to get an idea of what being a PJ would actually be like. I was never set on being one all I ever knew was I wanted to be a combat medic for whatever branch and specific job I believed was the right fit for me. After meeting the FMF Corpsman at school and talking to other Corpsman and Marine veterans that have worked with them  I have made conscious decision that this is the route for me and i'm sticking with it 100%. 

The area that I was least educated in going into this was how the recruiting process goes. Yes I was naive and I thought I could get a Corpsman contract and be off to training by the winter. Obviously that's not realistic and I know that now and I have learned a lot more since opening this thread from all of you and I thank you all for that. I also have talked to a former Marine and Navy recruiter they have explained a lot of options that I can go with. For example I can go with QNJ and wait until theres a opening if thats what it takes to become a corpsman. 

My goal is set and I will not let anyone convince me otherwise to get in earlier or convince some other job is better because this guy likes that and that guy didnt like that. No one but myself is steering me in any direction now. I know i have to be patient now and If that's what it takes i'll do it.

Thanks for all the advice guys and for all that you'll most likely give me in the future


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## 8654Maine (Sep 26, 2015)

What Hate Ape wrote is very appropriate.

I've talked with several docs (MD types) who served in certain MOS's.

3 of them were former SF, PJ and SEAL (DevGrp) guys.  They got out and pursued medical degrees are are loving their current careers.  They will tell you that their course was the best.

I told those fags that they were half baked.  My way was the best.

Of course, you won't know until you jump in the deep end of the pool.

Good luck.

In the end, it's not what others say that matters...it's what YOU do that matters.


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## Ranger Psych (Sep 27, 2015)

There's a big difference in the missions between your Corpsmen working with the Corps or Ranger Medics, versus PJ's, versus SF 18D's. 

There's guys here that provided you formulate cogent and coherent questions with regards to their former or current jobs, as well as using the search tool to find past information shared, that will end up providing a vast amount of information that will show all sides of the "Medical Die" as it could be called. All practice medicine, but all have different skillsets that are a requirement of the specific task they perform within their individual services.

Example: Ranger Medics take care of a 40-some odd man platoon of Rangers both stateside and deployed while maintaining tactical proficiency in order to protect their charges if they can't protect themselves.  

I would ASSUME, but wouldn't put faith in the assumption (rather preferring to defer to the gold-winged marpattiers here) that they perform much the same task albeit with a much smaller team, and with the addition of the Recon taskings and mission requirements (IE, you wanna be a Recon Corpsman, you're gonna have to know how to suck it up, ruck with the guys you're supporting, and prove your worth as an asset) since you're going to be part of the team and need to be useful, intelligent, and know what you're doing (through training) in other purposes up until your actual primary skillset is necessary... which, if things go as preferred, never will be.

You'd also most likely provide support for training, either as an integrated part of the team undergoing the training, or administratively as a pseudo-static medical element for something that's "tough enough" that while there might be a medic in that platoon, you can either integrate a casevac portion into the training as an actual objective or get training value out of any real world injuries that might occur.  After all, none of the shit the green-banner wearing people here did was exactly super safe, even in a training environment. Shit happens, parachutes don't open, flashbangs bounce back at you, etc.


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## bcrimz47 (Sep 27, 2015)

Thanks guys. 8654Maine i agree, I just have to stick with it and give it all I got to truly know if it's for me.


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## bcrimz47 (Sep 27, 2015)

Thanks for that information Ranger Psych, all jobs are a medic at the core but have very different responsibilities to go along with it and that's really the only way I could make a educated decision on which path to go . Thanks for the help.


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## Scubadew (Sep 27, 2015)

I'm slightly confused because there was so much emphasis on wanting to be a Fleet Marine Force Corpsman but now you're throwing SARC around left and right. Is SARC the long-term goal or would you prefer to take a shot at it right from the beginning?

If you want to be a FMF Corpsman then tell your recruiters to call you when they have an opening for an HM contract. Get through basic, A-School, FMTB, and hit the fleet with the intent of learning everything you can about your job and building a reputation with your Marines. If you still want to be a SARC you can always drop a package when you're ready for the two year pipeline.


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## bcrimz47 (Sep 27, 2015)

It's the long term goal because I had thought that SARC only wanted seasoned Marines. So my plan was to become a FMF Corpsman and when i'm ready go for SARC. After talking to you and others I know now I could have the chance to go for SARC straight from A school so i'm going to strive for that because why not pass up the opportunity.


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## Scubadew (Sep 27, 2015)

bcrimz47 said:


> It's the long term goal because I had thought that SARC only wanted seasoned Marines. So my plan was to become a FMF Corpsman and when i'm ready go for SARC. After talking to you and others I know now I could have the chance to go for SARC straight from A school so i'm going to strive for that because why not pass up the opportunity.



It certainly is an opportunity. Show up and kick ass.


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## bcrimz47 (Sep 27, 2015)

Scubadew said:


> It certainly is an opportunity. Show up and kick ass.



Absolutely


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