Medical Field History
The medical field has changed drastically since the beginning of the American Revolution. Caring for casualties on the battlefield was a major problem in the recovery and care as this was the responsibility of the Quartermaster Sergeant and select Soldiers from the field, mainly Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs). Injured Soldiers could not call for the skilled medic as they did not exist yet. Regimental Surgeons performed initial treatment, but there was still a problem as the numbers of casualties had risen. The quality of care performed by the Quartermaster Sergeant and his team was poor, and Commanders did not send their best men to assist with health roles needed by the Surgeon. The detailed men lacked motivation, often spent time on
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The establishment of the new Corps allowed for the Hospital stewards to wear full sized chevrons that were similar NCOs worn throughout the Army. Their chevrons distinguished the stewards from the rest of the NCOs, which included a red cross in the center. Acting Hospital stewards wore the same chevrons except for the stripe on the top, and privates of the hospital corps wore the “White armband with a Red Cross.” 1 March 1887 is considered the “Anniversary of the Hospital Corps. General Order 29 defined the stewards pay, successful completion of board requirements given by medical officers, promotion ability, and it gave the Army power to enlist as many privates that the service may require. The order allowed for hospital stewards to be detailed whenever their skills were needed with an increase of pay to $25 per month while serving in those …show more content…
The knowledge and skill set of enlisted personnel were rapidly improving. They were now training volunteer recruits in areas such as veterinary, dental, radiology, laboratory and psychiatry. The Army’s first dentist was an NCO, who worked under the direction of his regimental surgeon. Training within Army medicine transformed to be more specialized in nature and experienced NCOs had to take the place of the Surgeon in training the enlisted members. By 1890, the Army had created its second company of instruction to train personnel who enlisted solely for a military medical
The establishment of the new Corps allowed for the Hospital stewards to wear full sized chevrons that were similar NCOs worn throughout the Army. Their chevrons distinguished the stewards from the rest of the NCOs, which included a red cross in the center. Acting Hospital stewards wore the same chevrons except for the stripe on the top, and privates of the hospital corps wore the “White armband with a Red Cross.” 1 March 1887 is considered the “Anniversary of the Hospital Corps. General Order 29 defined the stewards pay, successful completion of board requirements given by medical officers, promotion ability, and it gave the Army power to enlist as many privates that the service may require. The order allowed for hospital stewards to be detailed whenever their skills were needed with an increase of pay to $25 per month while serving in those …show more content…
The knowledge and skill set of enlisted personnel were rapidly improving. They were now training volunteer recruits in areas such as veterinary, dental, radiology, laboratory and psychiatry. The Army’s first dentist was an NCO, who worked under the direction of his regimental surgeon. Training within Army medicine transformed to be more specialized in nature and experienced NCOs had to take the place of the Surgeon in training the enlisted members. By 1890, the Army had created its second company of instruction to train personnel who enlisted solely for a military medical