MCAS Cherry Point  –   Corpsmen serving aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point partnered with the base’s Fire and Emergency Services Department to complete an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic course in March, 2026.

 Sailors assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Cherry Point completed the multi-week course taught by Daniel Whitehead, assistant fire chief of operations of Cherry Point FEMS.

“This is a great honor to instruct an amazing group of Corpsmen.  This is an intense 6-week class, they must endure 8-hour days of instruction, a minimum of 48 hours of ride time in an ambulance, 10 live patient contacts, and master hands-on assessments and treatments,” said Whitehead.  “It has been my pleasure teaching this group.”

The course included classroom instruction covering topics such as anatomy, physiology, airway management, trauma and patient assessment.  Sailors demonstrated what they learned during a round-robin practical exam designed to immerse them in scenarios typically encountered by civilian medical first responders.

In addition to the practical exercise and classroom instruction, the course included a rigorous study program to prepare the Corpsmen for the National Registry Emergency Medical Technician exam, said Whitehead.