Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Travis Decker | 250303-N-KC192-1140 SPRING LAKE, N.C. (Mar. 3, 2025) - Hospital Corpsman 1st Class...... read more read more
SPRING LAKE, N.C. – Amidst the chaos of battle on distant shores, a Marine goes down—“DOC!” echoes across the field, and a Navy Corpsman pushes forward before the word even finishes tearing itself from their lungs. Aboard a warship, alarms blare as a medical team work to stabilize an injured Sailor, bracing against the rolling of the sea. On a remote expeditionary medical facility, a casualty arrives, helicopters thundering overhead, as medical teams work urgently to keep them alive.
Across every domain—sea, shore, and the austere environments in between—one mission remains unchanged: sustaining life until the casualty can get to a higher level of care. To meet the demands of modern conflict, the military must build agile, resilient medical capabilities that can move casualties across the spectrum of care with the fight.
To that end, Navy Medicine is working to strengthen and grow one of 14 of its Expeditionary Medicine (EXMED) platforms known as the En Route Care System (ERCS) which supports warfighters in contested environments. Training programs like the accelerated paramedic course at Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) are playing a pivotal role in preparing Hospital Corpsmen for this.
ERCS teams provide advanced care as they move casualties across levels of care, from point of injury to Role 3, bridging the gap between frontline stabilization and higher levels of treatment. This requires highly trained personnel who can operate in extreme conditions, delivering advanced life-saving interventions under pressure. Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Axel Narvaez, a training specialist with Naval Medical Forces Atlantic (NMFL) and a graduate of the program, emphasized the impact of this training on ERCS readiness.
“This course is going to better prepare us, especially as corpsmen who now have paramedic training, to sustain life in flight and probably in some austere environments, and to give us the necessary tools to sustain life of those that are critically injured. With the tools it gives us, it qualifies us for En Route Care work as part of an EXMED.”
The impact of this training extends beyond individual skill development—it strengthens the overall medical capabilities of the armed forces. With graduates prepared to deliver critical care in any environment, from remote battlefields to bustling urban centers, the program enhances military medical readiness on a broad scale. By equipping personnel with advanced paramedic training, the military ensures that no matter where duty calls, highly capable medical professionals will be ready to respond.
“One thing a lot of people don't know is all of us on the enlisted medical side go to our rating, or military occupational specialty, school in Joint Base San Antonio, Texas,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Kelly Jurkouich, a branch clinic assistant leading petty officer assigned to Expeditionary Medical Facility (EMF) Mike. “The difference is, soldiers are taught extensive battlefield care, Sailors are taught ship and aircraft care, the Air Force, they do hospital and air care as well. A lot of servicemembers come out of a school with very little practical experience. They've maybe started one [intravenous injection]. Sending someone through a program like this where you get hundreds of hours of experience and clinical hands on, that will definitely increase readiness, increase your ability of knowing what you're doing and feeling confident in your skills and knowledge.”
EXMED units operate in combat zones, forward operating bases, humanitarian missions, training exercises, naval and Marine Corps operations, and remote or underserved areas. Their primary function is to provide emergency trauma care, surgical and critical care, public health and preventive medicine, evacuation and patient transport, and humanitarian assistance. These units are designed for rapid deployment and can establish medical support in austere environments, ensuring continuity of care in military operations and disaster response efforts.
According to FTCC instructor Dezmond Harper, the rigor of the program prepares students to operate in high-stress, real-world environments—a necessity for corpsmen deploying with EXMEDs. “We compress nearly two years of training into five months,” Harper explained. “It’s intense, but the results are clear: students graduate with the critical thinking and hands-on experience they need to provide emergency care in any setting.”
Harper elaborated on how well students retain these skills. “Do I expect them to remember every last aspect of every last thing? Absolutely not. It’s not logical when you stuff so much knowledge into such a short time.” He held up a hand to clarify, “But they develop strong foundational concepts and muscle memory that help them apply their skills in real-world situations. Combined with their military training, students who have reached back to me after say, this experience has been incredibly beneficial.”
This hands-on experience, combined with intensive academic training, ensures that graduates of the program emerge with both theoretical knowledge and practical proficiency. The accelerated nature of the course pushes students to perform under pressure, reinforcing their ability to apply life-saving techniques in high-stress environments. For service members, this means not only increased readiness but also a significant advantage in both military and civilian medical careers.
Graduates who wish to pursue higher education in the field will save thousands of dollars, time, and credit hours, confirmed Harper. After completing this course, graduates typically need only three to seven additional courses to earn an associate degree. Depending on prior education and desired degree level, this can save them years in pursuit of higher education.
As part of the course, students compacted over nine to ten months of basic paramedic schooling, 156 hours of clinical time in a hospital and 240 hours of ambulance time and many late nights into learning these skills. This is a drastic amount of practical experience that enhances skills trained and embeds them to memory.
Throughout the program, students’ progress through key checkpoints, starting with cardiology and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). Upon completion, students earn certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS) and ACLS. Next, they move on to a pediatric module, which includes Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), earning another certification upon completion. The trauma module follows, where students integrate approaches to trauma care, ensuring their skills are applicable in diverse environments.
They complete International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) training and receive certification in that as well. Upon finishing the course, students earn a certification of completion from the school, making them eligible to sit for the National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) exam as a paramedic. Those who pass become nationally registered and certified paramedics, ready to serve in various medical and emergency settings through a process called reciprocity, which allows paramedics to operate in various regions, including federal spaces.
“All in all, this training significantly broadens our skill sets,” Narvaez concluded. “As EXMED providers, we’ll have a much more robust toolbox to sustain life anywhere in the world. This course is a game-changer for Navy Medicine’s expeditionary mission.”
NMFL, headquartered in Portsmouth, Virginia, delivers operationally focused medical expertise and capabilities to meet Fleet, Marine and Joint Force requirements by providing equipment, sustainment and maintenance of medical forces during combat operations and public health crises. NMFL provides oversight for 22 NMRTCs, logistics, and public health and dental services throughout the U.S. East Coast, U.S. Gulf Coast, Cuba, Europe, and the Middle East.
Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.
| Date Taken: | 03.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.14.2025 10:54 |
| Story ID: | 492860 |
| Location: | SPRING LAKE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 410 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Mission: Lifesaver – The U.S. Military’s Accelerated Paramedic Training Program, by PO2 Travis Decker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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