Key points
- In 2003, the 1st Expeditionary Force invaded Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein in a mission with the United Nations.
- In 2004, the 1st Medical Battalion returned to offer assistance to the 82nd Airborne Division Medical Unit in Iraq.
- The 1st Medical Battalion supported Marines in the Al Anbar Province and removed the insurgent of Fallujah to make room for the first unimposed elections in Iraq.
- Navy Medicine used the Shock Trauma Platoon (STP) concept in the Iraqi conflict to provide medical care to assault units.
- Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan were diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- PTSD was acknowledged as a diagnosable psychological disorder in 1980.
- Studies showed that 1 in 6 returning from combat operations in Iraq suffered from a disorder, with as many as 300,000 veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
- Combat medical personnel, such as Hospital Corpsmen, were in a unique position caring for those who were psychologically wounded while being exposed to the same stresses themselves.
- The Navy Medical Department has one of the finest mental health care provider centers for service members and veterans.
- “Corpsman Up!” is a military march created by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brian Dix to recognize the hospital corpsmen who fought bravely.
Introduction
In March 2003, a team called the 1st Expeditionary Force (IMEF), accompanied by Corpsmen, invaded Iraq on a mission to remove Saddam Hussein. The operation was conducted in conjunction with the United Nations on a mission that took them deep into Iraq.
About a year later in March 2004, the 1st Medical Battalion returned to Iraq to offer assistance to a team called the 82nd Airborne Division Medical Unit.
How did the first legitimate Iraqi elections come about?
At the time, the current operation was called Iraqi Freedom II. The 1st Medical Battalion gave support to Marines throughout the Al Anbar Province, considered the largest governorate in Iraq. They removed the insurgency in Fallujah and made room for the first unimposed elections to happen in Iraq.
What was the Shock Trauma Platoon (STP) concept?
During the Iraqi conflict, Navy Medicine used the Shock Trauma Platoon (STP) concept. The STP was a small, mobile medical team that traveled with assault units from just behind the front lines.
They found that the SPT team was rather successful in that pit, treating over one hundred and forty combat casualties with a 98% survival ratio. They were able to maintain the health of those who were injured for long enough to call on higher-echelon medical support.
Soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with TBI and PTSD
Overseas Contingency Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were notorious for returning Marines and Sailors with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Post-traumatic stress disorder was labeled with showing:
- Nostalgia
- Neurasthenia
- Shell shock
- Combat fatigue
Although PTSD is nothing new, it was only recently (1980) acknowledged as a diagnosable psychological disorder.
What’s the prevalence of soldiers who come back with PTSD in Iraq and Afghanistan?
According to studies, at least one in every six soldiers returning from combat operations in Iraq suffers from a disorder, with as many as 300,000 veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars affected.
Combat medical personnel such as Hospital Corpsmen we’re in a unique position. They had to care for those who were psychologically wounded while at the same time being exposed to the same stresses themselves.
Stress and burnout were an inevitable part of the war and campaigns that these Hospital Corpsmen were challenged through.
The United States recognized this all too well. The Navy Medical Department now boasts one of the finest mental health care provider centers for service members and veterans.
Where did the military march called “Corpsman Up!” come from?
So the story behind this is that Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brian Dix, who was the director of the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps, met with HM3 Joe Worley. HM3 Worley was badly injured from a grenade and several bullet wounds in the battle of Fallujah, Iraq. He told the chief warrant officer what had happened on that day and to him and his platoon.
CWO4 Dix decided to create a military march, which he titled “Corpsman Up!” It was a military march to honor the brave hospital corpsman and show how much they were appreciated.
