When someone yells "corpsman up", you do not half step. If you are not willing to trust your Marines to cover you, you are in the wrong game. You go out in all the flying shit and do what you have to do. When you rotate back to a rear area out of the fray, they treat you like gold. First in the chow line for hot food, first in the showers. The down side is too many of good marines die in your arms, telling you their last thoughts. There was a corpsman raising that famous flag in Iwo Jima and depicted in the photograph and subsequent statue. They have the highest death rate in combat zones, and yet they return for second tours. Whether in a rear area surgical or dental unit, or out in the bush, they serve with the marines with pride and wear Marine uniforms (all but formal dress class a) with naval insignia. Their decorations given in combat zones have a Marine Corps globe an anchor device on them, and they wear the Marine combat action ribbon, when they have served in forward combat areas with the brothers in arms. Duty with the fleet marine force is an honor and not for the faint of heart, definitely something that you never forget. First to fight. My flight jacket name tag, under my name and universal nickname given to marines to all their corpsmen "Doc," it says this. Bustin' mine, to save yours....