Combat medic

A combat medic is someone in the military who has medical training. Their job is to heal sick or injured soldiers on the battlefield. Medics are protected by the Geneva Conventions. This means that anyone who purposefully attacks or kills a medic clearly wearing medical clothing and has no weapon in their hand commits a war crime. Even though it is a war crime, some soldiers will still attack medics. An example of this is the Japanese military during World War II, when officers would pay soldiers extra money for killing medics. For this reason, most medics carry a pistol or a carbine just in case they need to protect themselves and the soldiers they are treating.

Combat Medic Media

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  A U.S. Army Medical Corps team at work during the Battle of Normandy

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  U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman providing treatment to a wounded Iraqi soldier, 2003.

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  Israel Defense Forces medical personnel coordinating relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake

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  Israel Defense Forces field doctors training in Israel

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  Capsarii depicted tending to injured soldiers on Trajan's Column

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  Norwegian Army medics wearing red cross armbands during an exercise in 2007

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  An Iraqi Ground Forces medic next to his military ambulance featuring a red crescent emblem

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  A U.S. Army combat medic examining a young child during the War in Afghanistan in 2009. Note that the medic lacks distinguishing features or medic insignia, to prevent targeting by insurgents.