68W

68W (pronounced as sixty-eight whiskey using the NATO phonetic alphabet) is the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) for the United States Army's Healthcare Specialist, also known as the Combat Medic. This MOS is primarily responsible for providing emergency medical treatment at the point of wounding on the battlefield, limited primary care, and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illness.

Duties and Functions

The primary duties of the 68W Healthcare Specialist include emergency medical treatment, limited primary care, force health protection, evacuation in a variety of operational and clinical settings from point of injury or illness through the continuum of military healthcare and, as a field combat medic, provides emergency medical care/treatment at point of wounding on the battlefield or in a structured clinical setting.

Training

Training for a 68W Healthcare Specialist involves ten weeks of Basic Combat Training and 16 weeks of Advanced Individual Training, including practice in-patient care. Some of the skills they learn are:

• Emergency medical techniques
• Clinical laboratory procedures
• Methods of patient care
• Minor surgical procedures
• Pharmacology

Roles and Responsibilities

The 68W Healthcare Specialist is primarily responsible for providing emergency medical treatment, limited primary care, and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illness. This includes administering emergency medical treatment to battlefield casualties, assisting with outpatient and inpatient care and treatment, and preparing blood samples for laboratory analysis.

See Also

• United States Army
• Military Occupational Specialty
• Basic Combat Training
• Advanced Individual Training