Combat medics (also known as
medics) are
military personnel who have been trained to at least an EMT-Basic level (16 week course in the
U.S. Army), and are responsible for providing
first aid and frontline
trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing
medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injuries. Combat medics are normally co-located with the combat troops they serve in order to easily move with the troops and monitor ongoing health.