More HM rating info stuff...

[buick0067]

Originally Posted by RysMomma

My son is signed up to be a HM. Still in the DEP pool but will be headed to Bootcamp in September. I haven't read anything about "A" school anywhere, but I did see something about "C" school. He's been in JROTC for 4 years so he is going in as an E3 ... What does all this mean?? ... Sorry for my stupidity, but this is my first Military experience & I know nothing!
~Lynette

I am also a HM in DEP. I am shipping in October. A school is immediately after boot camp. It is where he will learn how to be an HM or Hospital Corpsman. It is 14 weeks at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio TX. If you go to youtube.com and search for METC there is a great video that shows the campus and training. After that school he will get orders to his first duty station. Depending on his orders he may get a "C" school. It is a little more specific training. ie Dental Tech, Radiology Tech, Field Medic etc. These are just base on the needs of the Navy. They last between 9-30 weeks.
Because the Marine Corps does not have there own medical division, they use the Navy's medical personnel so there is also another school he may go to called FMTB. It is 8 weeks long I believe, and is in either at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside CA of Fort Lejuene in Jackson North Carolina. Again on youtube.com if you search FMTB the video titled FMTB West part 1 is a great one to show the training. This training is more combat based and works on battlefield medicine.
E-3 is his rank, and paygrade. Most enter boot camp E-1. E-3 is the highest you can get while in boot camp without having some sort of a advanced technical field as your job. Not only is it more pay but it gets him to be able to advance to E-4 which is a Petty Officer 3rd class sooner.
Below is a good link that lists all the classifications you can get through the various "C" schools.
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/navynecs/a/hm.-urt.htm
I am not sure but seeing that his ship date is close to mine there may be a chance we will go to "A" school together.
Good Luck!