CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (April 19, 2005) – On his third tour to Iraq since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Petty Officer 3rd Class Curtis Brouse has grown very confident with his skills, and attributes it to riding with the best team of Military Policemen in the Area of Operations.
“I would say I’m the best corpsman out here,” said Brouse, a corpsman assigned to Alpha team, 3rd platoon, Bravo Company, 2d Military Police Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 25, 2d Force Service Support Group (Forward). “These guys rub off on me; they give me confidence. I know that I can take care of anything from a small scrape to a sucking chest wound, even amputations. If anything were to happen, I’m going to make sure that nobody goes home in a pine box.”
Brouse, who graduated from Raymore-Peculiar High School in Missouri and started attending college to become an emergency medical technician, but due to insurance reasons he was too young to fulfill his dream of becoming a paramedic firefighter. He found the military would allow him to continue his education in the medical field.
“I was talking to a friend in the military,” said the Peculiar, Mo., native. “He told me the Navy has corpsmen, and their primary job is to take care of the Marines.”
Brouse is in charge of making sure the Marines of Alpha team are taken care of at all times, without as much guidance from the medical officers that would occur back at Camp Lejeune, where the unit is based.
“I’m really glad that I can take care of these guys on my own,” said Brouse. “It gives me a chance to thrive and do what I was trained to do.”
The Marines under Brouse’s care can attest to his ability to provide care for wounded Marines.
“I’d trust him to stitch a wound,” said Sgt. Keith Littreal, Alpha team leader and Greensboro, N.C., native. "You should have seen the way ‘Doc’ reacted when one of the Marines took shrapnel in his leg. He jumped out of the humvee and ran, and I mean sprinted, with his gear to the Marine.”
Brouse claimed he was just doing his job. “We were on the test fire range and I heard the [.50 caliber machine gun] make a funny sound. Then all of a sudden the Marines were screaming, DOC!”
The machine gun had malfunctioned sending shrapnel into the gunner’s leg. The shrapnel missed the femoral artery by only inches. Because of his quick reaction, the Marine did not lose too much blood and was taken to the Surgical Shock Trauma Platoon to have the shrapnel removed.
“I looked at him and noticed that his trousers were starting to soak through with blood,” said Brouse. “I was actually kind of gentle about everything; normally I don’t ask before I cut clothes. But this time I said, ‘I’m going to cut your britches, alright?’ and he just nodded. He had a hole about the size of a nickel in his leg. I applied enough pressure to get the bleeding almost stopped and he was taken to [Battalion Aid Station]. From there they took him to the SSTP.”
For Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Lopez, Lead Petty Officer for Bravo Company, there is no question in his mind about Brouse’s capabilities.
“I feel very confident about Doc Brouse,” said the Silver City, N.M., native. “When he’s out on a mission with his guys, I know that every one of them is going to come back.”
Brouse, who recently began studying for his Fleet Marine Force warfare device, looks forward to the challenges that it will bring.
“I know that when he tests for the FMF pin he’s going to pass,” said Lopez. “When he puts his mind to something he’s going to accomplish whatever he wants to do. He takes it on a personal level, just to see if he can do it. He has the right attitude; he wants to grow.”
Giving credit where credit is due, Brouse learned everything he knows from his first LPO.
“I was taught everything I know about the ‘green side’ by [Petty Officer 1st Class] Ganiere,” he said. “That man was an awesome mentor. He taught me so much about my field, and he passed on to me the poem on my green book.”
Working on the “green side” of the corpsmen’s field, Brouse feels more appreciated.
“When you’re on the ‘blue side,’ you’re just another Sailor in dungarees,” he said. “The respect that Marines give corpsmen; it’s unbelievable. I love working with these guys!”
Brouse, who graduated from Raymore-Peculiar High School in Missouri and started attending college to become an emergency medical technician, but due to insurance reasons he was too young to fulfill his dream of becoming a paramedic firefighter. He found the military would allow him to continue his education in the medical field.
“I was talking to a friend in the military,” said the Peculiar, Mo., native. “He told me the Navy has corpsmen, and their primary job is to take care of the Marines.”
Brouse is in charge of making sure the Marines of Alpha team are taken care of at all times, without as much guidance from the medical officers that would occur back at Camp Lejeune, where the unit is based.
“I’m really glad that I can take care of these guys on my own,” said Brouse. “It gives me a chance to thrive and do what I was trained to do.”
The Marines under Brouse’s care can attest to his ability to provide care for wounded Marines.
“I’d trust him to stitch a wound,” said Sgt. Keith Littreal, Alpha team leader and Greensboro, N.C., native. "You should have seen the way ‘Doc’ reacted when one of the Marines took shrapnel in his leg. He jumped out of the humvee and ran, and I mean sprinted, with his gear to the Marine.”
Brouse claimed he was just doing his job. “We were on the test fire range and I heard the [.50 caliber machine gun] make a funny sound. Then all of a sudden the Marines were screaming, DOC!”
The machine gun had malfunctioned sending shrapnel into the gunner’s leg. The shrapnel missed the femoral artery by only inches. Because of his quick reaction, the Marine did not lose too much blood and was taken to the Surgical Shock Trauma Platoon to have the shrapnel removed.
“I looked at him and noticed that his trousers were starting to soak through with blood,” said Brouse. “I was actually kind of gentle about everything; normally I don’t ask before I cut clothes. But this time I said, ‘I’m going to cut your britches, alright?’ and he just nodded. He had a hole about the size of a nickel in his leg. I applied enough pressure to get the bleeding almost stopped and he was taken to [Battalion Aid Station]. From there they took him to the SSTP.”
For Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Lopez, Lead Petty Officer for Bravo Company, there is no question in his mind about Brouse’s capabilities.
“I feel very confident about Doc Brouse,” said the Silver City, N.M., native. “When he’s out on a mission with his guys, I know that every one of them is going to come back.”
Brouse, who recently began studying for his Fleet Marine Force warfare device, looks forward to the challenges that it will bring.
“I know that when he tests for the FMF pin he’s going to pass,” said Lopez. “When he puts his mind to something he’s going to accomplish whatever he wants to do. He takes it on a personal level, just to see if he can do it. He has the right attitude; he wants to grow.”
Giving credit where credit is due, Brouse learned everything he knows from his first LPO.
“I was taught everything I know about the ‘green side’ by [Petty Officer 1st Class] Ganiere,” he said. “That man was an awesome mentor. He taught me so much about my field, and he passed on to me the poem on my green book.”
Working on the “green side” of the corpsmen’s field, Brouse feels more appreciated.
“When you’re on the ‘blue side,’ you’re just another Sailor in dungarees,” he said. “The respect that Marines give corpsmen; it’s unbelievable. I love working with these guys!”
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