EMT enlisting in the military

[thrillin007]

Ive been an EMT-I now for about a year. Ive been thinking about enlisting in the National Guard or the Army and was wondering how the signing bonuses were. Does anyone seem to have the answer to this?

[Linuss]

Recruiter is your best bet, but even then, only the guidance counselors at MEPS can guarantee anything.

[EMT-B2B]

I did both active duty time and NG time in the Army. Depends alot on the MOS that your looking at. I just signed back up with the guard but decided to go Air Guard this time. Couldnt get a medic or medical slot. None open. So took Security Forces for six year enlistment with a $15,000 incentive. Your enlistment and MOS has everything to do with any incentives that you may be interested in. And make sure that the guidance counselers at MEPS show you everything in writing before you leave....LOL.....Have Fun!!

[spisco85]

EMT-B2B is right on. I spent 3 years in the active army and a year in the national guard. It really comes down to your MOS. I loved my MOS in active duty (cavalry scout) but couldn't do that in the national guard so I was assigned to a medical unit with no medical training at the time.

[Linuss]

I'm no longer eligible for incentives, which makes the prospects of spending another 9 weeks at basic not too appealing.


Recruiters get you in the door but have no say on your career. MEPS counselors do ALL the work, get you the bonuses, and fill out all the contract stuff you have to lived with for the next 8 years.

PS- ALL enlistments are 8 years, no matter what. You may only do 4 as active drilling, but you are part of the military for 8 in the IRR.

[ffemt8978]

Moved to Luno's Lounge

[HNcorpsman]

linuss is right 8 years total, i enlisted in the navy for 5 active (it 5 because a hospital corpsman gets about a year of training) and 3 IRR...

[Maryexmasblack]

The only branch where the recruiter can garuntee your job is the army and thats only because their hurting for numbers. I'm a Combat Medic in the active Army I got a 10000 bonus for a five year enlistment I knew medics that got more and I knew medics that got less it all depends on what you can get from your recruiter.

[MedicRuss]

I agree with everything said...I am a medic (68W) in the army, it all depends on what is currently available. Heard a rumor at drill this weekend that the Army is currently out of enlistment bonuses not sure how true it is, but I do believe they are budgeted/rationed by the month And if you are already an EMT with an active NREMT license, you will get accelerated in the course and count yourself lucky, that is where most people fail...passing the nremt test

[HNcorpsman]

your actually wrong, the navy also guarantees you a job.

[ffemt8978]

your actually wrong, the navy also guarantees you a job.

A job...yes...

The job you want? Not always.:P

[reaper]

The only branch where the recruiter can garuntee your job is the army and thats only because their hurting for numbers. I'm a Combat Medic in the active Army I got a 10000 bonus for a five year enlistment I knew medics that got more and I knew medics that got less it all depends on what you can get from your recruiter.

As stated before, A recruiter can really put nothing that matters to paper. Believe nothing, until you have it at MEPS. That is where you will know for sure what you have and where you will go!

[maddox]

thrillin007,

Everything said about the jobs and bonuses is correct... the recruiter will get you in the door, the detailer at MEPS is the only one who can hook you up with your job and bonuses. If you have a good detailer they will get you a lot of good stuff, if you don't like what they have, walk away... simple as that, your recruiter may not be to happy, but they are not the ones that will have to live with [B]your contract[B]

As for the pause... I will tell you that serving in the military is a very good thing, good for experience, travel, maturity, and post military career. I would greatly discourage anyone who wants to join the military for the money, you have to remember we are at [B]war[B]. If you join (especially the Army) you [B]will be deployed[B], you will be away from you family, you might get shot at, and you might die... As a 68 Wiskey, you are a COMBAT Medic (you only have a job when the s**t hits the fan.

I'm not saying that should stop you, but it definitely should give you reason to think long and hard at why you are joining the military.

-M-

P.s. If you still want to join make sure you take them for everything they are worth, because they will use and abuse you. Do you research, look at what you can get besides the MGIB and bounses.

[HNcorpsman]

i got the job i wanted, people who say the navy gave them a :censored::censored::censored::censored:ty job have nobody to blame but themselves... what a person should do before joining any branch is RESEARCH and figure out what they want to do, then they get that job and if meps says sorry you cant have this job you say "NO". simple as that!

dont forget about FMF corpsman!!!

[Flight-LP]

your actually wrong, the navy also guarantees you a job.


As does the Air Force..............

[el Murpharino]

The AF can guarantee you a job, or you can go in "open general", in which they pick a job for you. After you take your ASVAB, your recruiter should go through a list of jobs you qualify for based on your scores and have you select a few. Out of those jobs, one will be selected for you, and you will have that AFSC (or in the Army, MOS) specific school to attend after Basic Training.

As far as being a military medic...your EMT card will pretty much mean that you have a little more knowledge, but it won't get you through any classes quicker if you join the Army. The AF is the only service that certifies their medics as NREMT-B's...the other services have their own service-specific training (i.e. Combat Lifesaver course for the Army). That doesn't mean that it won't help you through school and it is probably encouraged if you were to be a 96-B in the Army...but as far as getting anything for having it prior to joining...I wouldn't count on it.

[spisco85]

Actually standard Army Medics are certified NREMT-B and must maintain it. Combat Lifesaver is a program to introduce life saving interventions to the rest of the Army as Medic's can't be everywhere. Interventions such as NPAs, IVs, Chest decompression, tourniquets and bleeding control.

[AJ Hidell]

As far as being a military medic...your EMT card will pretty much mean that you have a little more knowledge, but it won't get you through any classes quicker if you join the Army. The AF is the only service that certifies their medics as NREMT-B's.
Unless it has changed in the last couple of years, I don't believe that is correct. The first couple of weeks of Army 68W training was 110 hours of EMT-B, with the NR exam to immediately follow. A friend of mine was an instructor there. I don't think that has changed, although it should.

I have heard rumor that the Army is indeed allowing NREMT-Bs to go straight into MOS training, bypassing the EMT portion. I haven't confirmed that, but if true, it's a bad idea. Way too much inconsistency in EMT training in this country to assume anyone with a patch knows what they are doing. Ideally, the EMT curriculum would be integrated within the 68W curriculum, and not a separate course. I'm not sure anyone at Fort Sam is up to that task though.

But yes, the Air Force was the first service to go NR. That's where I originally got mine back in the early 70s.

[HNcorpsman]

the combat life saver for army teaches regular soldiers (not medics) IVs!!! not sure if i believe that

we as hospital corpsman are trained to teach our marines the combat lifesaver course and we definitely dont teach them IVs, but on occasion we will pick one or two of the marines that arnt pussies and teach them how to do an IV, in case we need one.

[AJ Hidell]

the combat life saver for army teaches regular soldiers (not medics) IVs!!! not sure if i believe that
Believe it. I've taught it.

[HNcorpsman]

different cases i guess...

[spisco85]

The Army has great success in their Combat Lifesaver program. They cover the three highest causes of death in combat and teach soldiers to deal with that.

It also gives troops who do not have medics assigned to them to deal with things such as dehydration, heat stroke, etc while waiting for the medic to get there.

[akflightmedic]

the combat life saver for army teaches regular soldiers (not medics) IVs!!! not sure if i believe that

we as hospital corpsman are trained to teach our marines the combat lifesaver course and we definitely dont teach them IVs, but on occasion we will pick one or two of the marines that arnt pussies and teach them how to do an IV, in case we need one.


Been teaching it for past few years. Yes, a regular soldier is taught IV therapy.

They are taught large bore IV , practice a few times on each other and are turned loose for emergent situations when needed.

It is a monkey skill, anyone can do it, so I do not know why you do not believe it; regardless it is done on a regular basis in Iraq and Afghanistan. The ones that do not get it taught stateside are being taught here. It is the Army's new initiative to have EVERY soldier CLS qualified.

[HNcorpsman]

cool, cool.

hey akflightmedic.. are you currently in afghanistan right now... are you on a ANAETT tour? i just ask because i have been picked to go on a afghan national army embedded training team deployment to afghanistan for 9 months. we get to go to mojave viper and mountain viper...

[el Murpharino]

I stand corrected, the Army has their medics NREMT-B certified as well. But a state certification is worthless to them. There is a site dedicated to US Army EMS - http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/68w/ems/downloads%20update.htm. Maybe this will help the OP with any other questions. I apologize for my misinformation.

[Katie Elaine]

I enlisted in the US Army last November. I signed on with a $13k bonus, and I'm getting $1k each month I'm in school (I'm a high school senior), and $1k for graduating. I'm enlisted as a Health Care Specialist (68W), and on top of my nine weeks basic training, I have approx 13 weeks medical training, which includes getting my NREMT-B. I'm a state certified EMT-B right now, but because I am under the age of 18, I can't get my NREMT. I've still yet to discuss with my recruiter if I can challenge the NREMT test when I'm in, because then I don't have to repeat my EMT-B training, and it puts me further into my training.

Your recruiter can gurantee you have your job. When you sign the paperwork in his/her office, s/he will put your name into a data base reserving your spot. I know this because I was extremely specific as to the job I wanted, and my recruiter rode my tail to get me to sign up so he could reserve my job. Then, up at MEPS, they officially swear you in, and a guidance counselor gives you the details of your MOS and has you sign more paperwork sealing the deal and assigning you your MOS.

[reaper]

Never believe a thing that the recruiter says! They are like used car salesmen.

They can guarantee you nothing. Until you sign your name at MEPS, the rest means nothing!

[Linuss]

Recruiters can NOT GUARANTEE ANYTHING.

The only people who can guarantee something are the counselors at MEPS. Recruiters only job is to get you to MEPS, beyond that, you're with a counselor.

[AJ Hidell]

I'm a state certified EMT-B right now, but because I am under the age of 18, I can't get my NREMT. I've still yet to discuss with my recruiter if I can challenge the NREMT test when I'm in, because then I don't have to repeat my EMT-B training, and it puts me further into my training.
I wouldn't recommend that. Be a professional. NEVER pass up ANY opportunity for education. I can assure you that you will learn valuable information by repeating the silly two weeks. I retook the entire paramedic course after seven years as a working paramedic, and yes, I learned things I either didn't know or never learned. You're 17 years old. Don't get in a big hurry. It's a bad habit, and a very hard one to break.

[spisco85]

I had a guarenteed job through my recruiter and the Army request system along with my bonus, PaYS progam job choice and station of choice. When I finally got to MEPS the counselor just confirmed everything was how I wanted it and printed the contract with all his leg work already done.

[sarahharter]

i am in the air force and was also guarunteed a job

[Katie Elaine]

I wouldn't recommend that. Be a professional. NEVER pass up ANY opportunity for education. I can assure you that you will learn valuable information by repeating the silly two weeks. I retook the entire paramedic course after seven years as a working paramedic, and yes, I learned things I either didn't know or never learned. You're 17 years old. Don't get in a big hurry. It's a bad habit, and a very hard one to break.

I Just took my course, and I just passed my Basic exam on thursday. I'm not in a big hurry, I'm just not going to sit through a class I just took. I'd rather be learning things that I've yet to experience. And being an NREMT-B means that you are not put through repeating that course again in your army advanced training, so its just an issue of certification.

[james]

Like i said I am a recruiter and I am also NREMT-B depending on your level of training you could come in as a higher rank because of your skill. If you have any questions send me a private message or respond in here.

[el Murpharino]

Like i said I am a recruiter and I am also NREMT-B depending on your level of training you could come in as a higher rank because of your skill. If you have any questions send me a private message or respond in here.

If what he's saying is true, GET THAT SH*T IN WRITING prior to signing anything. Get notarized copies, and give them to trusted family members.

[reaper]

Like i said I am a recruiter and I am also NREMT-B depending on your level of training you could come in as a higher rank because of your skill. If you have any questions send me a private message or respond in here.

Anything short of an AS degree, will get you no higher then an E3. Even that requires a certain number of collage credits!

Nothing is for sure, until it is signed at MEPS!

[daughertyemta]

GO ARMY or go home..NAtional guard is a joke and will set you up to fail. they have nothing to offer! The Army has great incentives for EMT's and depending on how well your asvab score is and all that good :censored::censored::censored::censored: is gonna depend on how much you have to work with..Talk to a recruiter thats their job! lol...I know, I live with one ;)

[AJ Hidell]

GO ARMY or go home..NAtional guard is a joke and will set you up to fail. they have nothing to offer!
Yeah, free state college tuition is "nothing". As is excellent technical training for very little investment. :rolleyes:

[JCampbell]

Here's my 2 cents: I'm pretty sure that your "guaranteed" MOS is simply giving you the OPPORTUNITY to complete the requirements for that MOS. If you fail to qualify during AIT/OSUT, you will be re-assigned to another MOS at the needs of the Army. MANY soldiers fail the NREMT portion of their training at Ft Sam Houston. As far as the Regular Army being "better" than the ARNG, thats apples to oranges. One is full time soldiering, and theres certainly something to be said for that if you are 18. The other is part-time soldier, full time civilian. That gives someone the ability to go to school full time or work a better paying job, or both. Lots of federal benefits on both sides, state benefits vary.