I promise this is the last one I'll do on the USAF CSAR mission (at least for a minute) but one thing has been bugging the hell outta me.
My buddy Marcase made the case that PJ's (and again they're probably as tough as woodpecker lips...though I've never met one) are more medically skilled than the Corpsmen that rode out with the TRAP team picked up the F-15E Pilots a couple of days ago.
That bothered me.
It bothered me alot.
The reason why is because the Corpsmen that I've run across have all been extremely capable members of the family. I've seen Doc's go to Marine's homes when the kids were sick to give advice on what was going on. Seen them even deliver babies in terrible circumstances and of course watched them help injured Marines when strong armed men stood and all the could yell is "Corpsman Up!"
So what's a guy to do? Whip out the old Google-foo and see what the real story is...what I found was surprising...only because I didn't remember it.
The US Army Special Forces has a dedicated Medical Sgt. He not only takes care of his team but administers aid to local forces when they're leading insurgents against a hostile nation.
I looked on BlackFive and saw that Froggy posted that Navy Seal Corpsmen are no longer called Corpsmen but Navy Seal Medics...
I went to ForceRecon.com and saw that Navy Corpsmen are "Recon" qualified...they jump, fight, fast rope and dive with their teams...as well as perform medical treatment....
Long story short...its not about their qualifications or medical skills.
I take the training schools and selection boards at their word---these men are all highly skilled warriors.
But I do doubt the efficacy of the mission set as the USAF has established it.
A simple solution is for the US Air Force to step away from the CSAR mission. It requires gunfighters that its force does not have.
Give the mission to SOCOM to be shared with the Navy/Marines and elements of the Army (thinking mainly the 82nd and 101st...I don't know if the other Army Divisions have the air assets or training to carry it out) or...
Get serious about the entire thing and get its Security Forces trained and armed up to take part.
