Would the Army cover the cost of maintaining a Paramedic level EMT certification for medics?

Excellent points on both sides (SSG Boyd and 1LT Cooper). I agree with 1LT Boyd about starting early in your career to progress to the level of paramedic. I might be telling my age a little but when I first pitched that idea, it was about 10 years ago when the army had combined 91C and 91B to form 91Ws. It was a win/loss for the medics. Back when we were 91Bs there were no certification requirement except BLS. After the conversion, it was mandated all medics would be at least EMT-Basic, PHTLS/BTLS and Trauma AIMS certified. It was a move in the right direction but only opened up medic positions for 91C at the senior level (SFC, MSG, and SGM). I’ll answer the question to cost and standardization.
Cost: Would you believe me if I said it would not cost the Army any additional money. Think about it, across all services we like to recreate a wheel. The University of Maryland and Central Texas College are in just about every location that any military base is. That being said, each military member gets $4,500 per year allocated. My question, why not partner with selected colleges to enhance our work force. The nuts and bolts of this idea could be figured out and it cost nothing that is not already being allocated.
Standardizations is simple: There is already National and State standards that the Army and Air Force are held to for certification. State certification have just opened up a couple of years ago, it was only Nation Registry standard. Which makes sense, after all the United States is hardly a 3rd World Country.
SSG Boyd, I use to think that 68W was the 2nd largest MOS but that either was not true at the time I though it or changed after the realignment to the BCT concept. I think 68Ws are behind ordinates now. So many mechanics and I still can’t get my vehicles running, lol…
An additional way to cut cost would be to understand what paramedics bring to the table. You could definitely cut some of the nursing positions inside of Emergency Departments and fill those positions with paramedics. Es and cheaper than Os! Other ways would be to eliminate administration jobs, some are needed and others are just over flow. There are many ways to find money, you just have to have strong leaders that are willing to look for it. I could probably talk about the topic for an extended amount of time but the bottom line is, the Medic Corp would be better if it had more paramedics in it!

This would be amazing. But I think the bean counters would temper that thought with the overall pass:fail ratio for the MOS. I don't think we should pander to such a statistic, but it would be foolish to think it doesn't come across someone's desk in the overall planning process.

I've often thought 68W E5's should be BLS-I certified and E6's should have ACLS. My original thought was that as the primary trainers in a BCT model, the E5's can ensure all medics maintain CPR and BLS certs and E6's can further shape trauma learning by incorporating cardiac issues and AHA treatment principles.

Would it be appropriate to mandate a soldier use his/her TA benefits to maintain an Army required job qualification?

I am currently an NREMT-B to satisfy my Army requirement as a Medic, but I am also a Florida Paramedic and EMT. I had to get my Paramedic and State EMT certification on my own, with only the National Guard repayment for my Exam costs being covered. As it was explained to me when I went through AIT in 2005, the military was supposed to strike a deal with NREMT to provide a Military Paramedic certification to all Medics (USAF, Army, Navy, once the 3 schools aligned at Ft Sam Houston. Well, that time came and went, but since the bean counters got involved a few years ago, the military's favorite thing to say is that there is no money for it now. I do agree that something has to give though, because we are trained in advanced procedures from the start, that are Paramedic level skills, yet when you apply them in a non-military environment, you risk lawsuits due to working above your EMT certificate, IF your state acknowledges NREMT to begin with. As for mandating a SM to use his/her educational benefits and pay out of pocket, to acquire or maintain certification, that is illegal. The Army has to pay for and provide training to maintain certifications, hence the TC 8-800 requirements, online CEU webpages provided at no cost, and numerous recert classes, unless the SM has been given ample opportunity and has not gained the certification needed for recert. Making a SM pay out of pocket simply cannot happen. Another way of making it work would be to make the E-5 and E-6 an instructor in BLS, ACLS, PHTLS, PALS and whatever else you can think of that would assist the unit medics in their recertification. No schools to get a slot for, no classes to pay for. If we can constantly teach CLS, why cant we teach the other classes for real certification? The Army is providing a lot of valuable training, but not providing usable certifications.

A great theory in all; however, until leadership allows the departure of the one size fits all attitude, potential and human resources go to the way side. Until we can cease misappropriating resources under the guise of “career progression” or promoting to a desk, we put the breaks on having the medics possible, where they can make a difference. When you have critical care/certified flight paramedics working family health clinics or deployment health clinics under GMOs that no little to nothing about high acuity medicine, those highly skilled assets wast away and for their own sanity, jump ship for a real job. That would take a little thing called “Human Resources” knowing their people and knowing what assets are available, instead of a SNCO in the assignment section somewhere across world using computer algorithms to cram pieces into holes regardless of their shape. Even reporting a shortage on an MOS/AFSC that can “fit” the purpose of another MOS/AFSC simply because you’re not authorized another body in that second position. Now your highly skilled, trained, specialized asset becomes another record reviewer, blood pressure taking, diaper weigher. Like so many things, fraud/waste/abuse applies only from perspective of the highest paid onlooker.