What is it like to be a combat medic with a cavalry unit?

Question

I've recently enlisted in nat'l guard and going to a cav scout unit after AIT, I wanted to know if combat medics with cav/infantry units are primarily combative until someone gets injured.

Answer 1

It means you get to have a saddle bag with a big red cross on it !

Answer 2

When your on active duty training with your unit you will run their sick call, and if you are attached to a line troop you will be on missions with the assigned personnel.

When your doing your weekend thing, you will probably sit around a lot and get off the wall medical questions from the scouts....

Good luck

Answer 3

I'm not sure about National Guard, but in the Active Army, Medics are kind of a waste since Cav Scouts (at least all the ones I've worked with in Humvee units) were Combat Lifesaver qualified.  Reason being that 99% of the time Cav Scouts are so far away from medical help they have to learn to care for themselves.  That's why each section would have a Combat Lifesaver Bag with them when they'd dismount.

Usually the Medic would ride along with the Platoon SGT or Platoon Leader just in case, but when they'd dismount, they were on their own.

In garrison, our Medic would go with us when we went to a weapons range per SOP, so that was handy!  But we always greatly appreciated our Medics and treated them well.  Consider yourself lucky to be with such a high-speed bunch of guys!