PA in Army Special Operations

[M3351]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I've seen a lot of threads for Docs in Special Operations (SF & Ranger) and the overall feel is you will not be a outside the wire much (which will not sit well with me). So what about a PA? What would a deployment look like for them.

If you are a PA in the Army preferably in a Infantry or Special Operations unit I would love to get a day-today gist of what you do.

 

[Dranger]

I've seen a lot of threads for Docs in Special Operations (SF & Ranger) and the overall feel is you will not be a outside the wire much (which will not sit well with me). So what about a PA? What would a deployment look like for them.

If you are a PA in the Army preferably in a Infantry or Special Operations unit I would love to get a day-today gist of what you do.

My cadre (E-7/8s) in ROTC always said they had a few surgeons and PAs ( some tabbed) around the Ranger batt who were pretty active in missions.They made it seem like going outside the wire for PAs was not uncommon at all.

 

[Legion1]

It's almost completely up to the command unit and the mission. I would be shocked if more than 1% of MDs or PAs in the Army have every been on a real dismounted infantry/spec ops foot patrol. A lot of it is about the luck of being in the right place at the right time. We often took a PA or a MD on certain patrols with us, those patrols being ones where we thought a high chance of close combat or dismounted IEDs. We had one doc who loved to go, he was a former enlisted infantry guy. We had one guy who hated to go, he was highly skilled specialist who never failed to mention that he had no desire to deploy, let alone leave the wire. That said, we operated for a year in the worst part of Afghanistan in 09-10. The story of the second guy is the what makes me personally question military med: as soon as he left residency (and I believe a fellowship), he was stationed in the mid west, and then assigned to our unit on the other side of the country for 4 months prior to deployment, but was NOT allowed to bring his family b/c it was less than 6 months actually assigned there. Then he was with us for a 13 month deployment. All told, he spent 17 months away from his family and doing virtually nothing of what he had worked so hard to master.

As far as SF, I know its possible to be an MD out on mission with them, but I can't imagine why they would. My experience with 18Ds (SF medics) has been phenomenal. Ranger batt would be a great gig, but you must graduate ranger school. Of all options, I would imagine you would be most likely to leave the wire if you were a tabbed PA in Ranger Batt.

 

[244913]

The Ranger docs do go out on missions routinely with their guys. Most of the PA's tend to be prior enlisted types who served in Regiment. The MD's will go through Ranger if they are not already tabbed. To get that billet you have to be board certified and they prefer EM = FP > IM.

With Group it is less common because the A teams don't have Docs or PA's assigned. They roll out with 18D's who tend to be very high speed. On some missions I suppose it is possible but for the most part the PA's and MD's tend to be behind in the rear.

 

[DocRGR]

The above has been my experience as well. PAs tend to be former soldiers of the units they return to. I believe the IPAP has something to do with this. That is not to say that these units wouldn't be glad to have someone with a different background, but know it's going to be a more uphill run to get there as I understand these slots to be somewhat more competitive for PA than MD.