Posted on Jun 13, 2019
SPC Squad Leader
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Hey yall, I've got a question for my army brothers and sisters out there. So I'm prior svc navy hospital corpsman and i just reenlisted into the national guard as a 68w (combat medic). My recruiter is an 11B, and he was talking to me about specialty schools. He said airborne is pretty much off the table cause I'll be in the guard and big army just doesnt need airborne guard members like that, but he suggested mountain warfare. Does anybody know which hooah schools i could or should attempt to get into once I report in? I'm a bit of a motard and want to get my hands dirty and earn some sweet quals. Thanks everyone!
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Responses: 7
SGT Emergency Medical Technician (Emt)
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It all depends on what your state pays for, how many slots are available, and if someone likes you enough as a soldier to give you one of those slots. Example; my state doesn’t do airborne at all, so that’s completely off the table for me. Second, I had to go on a “deployment” (and trust me I’m using the term lightly here) just to be able to get a walk on slot for BLC through the brigade that I’m attached to, cus my state only has BLC slots for 68W when a position becomes available.
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SGT Emergency Medical Technician (Emt)
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Shoot dang! Well have fun at Ft Sam then, your gonna do the NREMT-B in 5 weeks or less, keep up and pass your tests or there gonna reclass you to a truck driver (88M). If you pass the NREMT, then Whiskey school after that is easy, so start studying that stuff now. And after NREMT, the rest of your time at Ft Sam is great.SPC (Join to see)
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SPC Squad Leader
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SGT (Join to see) yessir. I was in fort Sam doing damn near the same course back in 2011. Looking forward to it
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SGT Emergency Medical Technician (Emt)
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Btw civilians do the same NREMT class in one or two semesters, your about to do almost a year of schooling in 5 weeks. SPC (Join to see)
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SPC Squad Leader
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SGT (Join to see) Yessir. I was an EMT in new York state and then joined the navy and went to corps school and did EMT again, they just didnt pay for us to sit for the NREMT exam. So if it weren't for that I'd have been able to not have to go to AIT but yay navy...
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CPT Ray Gilmore
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Mountain Warfare is the best school to prep for schools like Ranger and Sapper.

However, getting to any of them, from the guard as a medic..... that's the hard part.

Talk to your S3 Schools NCO when you get to your unit, and find out what schools you can get to from your state.
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SPC Squad Leader
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Thank you Captain, I appreciate the response. Ranger school is a no go for the guard, so that much I have already accepted sadly. I will be hitting the ground running once I get to my unit and asking all of the questions with my chain of command once I've established one. Thanks again!
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SSG Squad Leader
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The easiest schools to get will be the ones your unit/state needs. It's harder to justify AMWS for a guy living in Kansas than it is for one living in the 86th IBCT footprint. Likewise for airborne if you aren't associated with one of the airborne units. It may also depend on your assigned units manning. If your unit is short 2 medics, it might be a harder sell to get them to send you to a motard school, as they are already feeling the pinch and sending you to an extra school could have you primed to pull details away from your PMOS (rigging/inspecting sling loads (AASLT), DZ/LZ/PZ operations (Pathfinder), assisting unit movement through Class IV and V terrain (AMWS), etc).
Depending on your work schedule outside the unit, there are bunches of less glamorous courses that can help make you indispensable to your unit or your career progression instead that pop up needing fills quicker, though some will require you to promote first. UPL, Field San, UMO, and the like aren't fun but do need people to do them as well. Also, just assuming you plan on spending more than just one year in the Guard, after pinning, see if your local RTI holds an instructor course. That can help with advancement when a teaching spot opens. Again, not razzle-dazzle style but it can help.
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SPC Squad Leader
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I appreciate the advice!
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SSG Squad Leader
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As a medic, if you really want to head up to Jericho for a couple weeks, it might be an easier sell if you attempt RTEC (Rough Terrain Evac Course). They run two courses a year, in the break between the summer and winter cycles. Depending on your state as well, whichever country you're paired with might open that door for justification as well.
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