This document is intended to give the novice Navy PA a starting point to anticipate and understand the duties likely to be assigned to them during their service at a USMC Battalion. It can and should be modified and made more specific to fit the platforms and units the reader may find themselves assigned to.

Authors: LT Sarah Begley, LT Dale Limbrock, and LCDR Ari Doucette.

We encourage recommendations for edits and additions in the comments section below.

Duties as Battalion Surgeon

Interactions with the Command

The best way to become one of the team is to get involved in much of what the unit is doing. Many new Battalion Surgeons make the mistake of hiding out in the Battalion Aid Station (BAS). Your Marines will notice your absence.

Your job as the Battalion Surgeon is to get your unit medically ready for exercises/deployments and to keep your CO, XO and SgtMaj aware of medical happenings within the unit. Unit-dependent, but often when there are concerns or questions, start with the XO. The XO’s job is to sort through everything before it gets to the CO. Upon arrival to your unit, have a sit-down with the XO and the CO to get an idea of their expectations and how they want information passed to them. Your time is likely going to be split 50/50, with half being Battalion administrative items, and the other half being clinical.

Aid Station Leadership Structure

As Battalion Surgeon, you are the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Battalion Aid Station (BAS). You are responsible for all Corpsmen attached to the unit. The highest-ranking enlisted Corpsman is typically your Senior Enlisted Leader (SEL). Pending staffing that could be an Independent Duty Corpsman (IDC) and/or a Chief Petty Officer (CPO). The SEL’s job is two-fold: to help you lead the enlisted Sailors and to advise you regarding morale, good order, and discipline of the Sailors. You should develop a good working relationship and will depend on them for support and guidance.

The medical department and BAS typically falls under the Headquarters and Service (H&S) company/section. Technically, as the medical OIC, you report to the H&S Company Commander. There are some USMC administrative tasks that will run through the H&S company. For the rest of the Naval and medical matters, many will be handled internally within the medical department. You will have the support of the medical department staff. As above, your SEL can provide guidance and assistance. You should also network with other medical officers at adjacent commands, as well as at higher level commands such as the Regimental Surgeon or the Regimental SEL.

Sailorization

One of your jobs as Bn Surgeon is helping your Sailors better themselves and advance in their careers. Lean on your SEL to assist with the following:

1. Awards. Spot awards are those that you can create for a single event (training exercise, deployment, saving someone’s life etc). End of Tour Awards, encompass all things done and should be given close to the members PCS. There is also the option to recognize with Command Coins. The Command will put out word for events that they want coin submissions or award submissions but keep an eye on your sailors’ actions and how well they do during exercises and day-to-day routine business. USMC awards are submitted through a website called IAPs; you will need to work with your S-1 and S-6 for access to it. Please review the Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual online to help you with guidelines on submitting awards. The SEL, H&S Company Commander, adjutant, and XO (in this order), can help you tailor the award to your CO’s expectations.
2. Boards. There are often Sailor of the Quarter and Sailor of the Year nomination packages. Notification of these opportunities may come down from higher levels, such as Regiment or Group. Work with your SEL to decide who they want to submit and help them review the package(s).
3. Evals. Evaluations are important to promote the best and most qualified Sailors. Your Leading Petty Officer and SEL will originate evaluations and provide recommendations for rankings of the Sailors and the format and wording. The SEL will take primary on ensuring your sailors’ evals are submitted on time and will ensure their review prior to your review. Keep in mind, enlisted eval writing has a different style than most officer FITREPs; trust your SEL in this. You may need to gain access to the eNavFit system for this. You will also need to refer to this page and the Navy's FITREP instruction it links to regarding who you may need to sign evals for. Your greatest input will be screening if the evaluations are specific, quantifiable, verifiable, and if the achievements contributed to the command’s mission. For each statement of a Sailors accomplishments, see if the statements meet the “so what” question. HM3 Smith vaccinated 45 Marines… so what? This should instead be written as, HM3 Smith vaccinated 45 Marines and contributed to the increase of Total Force Readiness from 87 to 93 percent. You should also screen for the obvious spelling and grammar mistakes.