Seaman Marcus Fluke, a hospital corpsman with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, scans over his sights while posting security during Military Operations in Urban Terrain training at the Urban Assault Course on Fort Pickett, Va., Sep. 11, 2011. More than 900 Marines and sailors will take part in the Deployment for Training exercise at Fort Pickett, Sept. 6-23. The battalion is scheduled to attach to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit a few days after the training.

Photo by Sgt. Richard Blumenstein

Faces of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment Seaman Marcus Fluke, a hospital corpsman: Part three of a series

11 Sep 2011 | Sgt. Richard Blumenstein 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit

FORT PICKETT VA -- Seaman Marcus Fluke takes care of Marines' ... feet.

The 20-year-old Bedford County, Pa., native is a hospital corpsman with 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Marine Regiment.

His job as a hospital corpsman is to act as a medical first responder for Marines, while also being able to perform the tasks of regular infantrymen such as patrolling and Military Operations in Urban Terrain.

"The way I've been training is to be a rifleman just like the Marines," the sailor said. A less glorified job he has is to act like a 'mom.' Corpsmen have the responsibility of preventive medicine. They distribute medicine, bandage wounds, and advise remedies for everything from blisters to headaches.

"We're not doctors, we're not trained to diagnose anything, it's all preventative medicine," he said. "Like a mom."

The battalion conducted the Deployment for Training exercise, which took place Sept. 6-23 at Fort Pickett, and prepared the Marines for attaching to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit as its Battalion Landing Team. The battalion is scheduled to attach to MEU a few days after training.