 Hospital corpsmen have saved the lives of many sailors and marines, but all too often it couldn't be done without the help of a stretcher bearer. Not only are stretcher bearers usually first on the scene, they also are the first to start administering care. Stretcher bearers come from any rate and are specifically trained by hospital corpsmen to care for injuries such as chest wounds, burns, compound fractures and excessive bleeding. They are also trained on making sure a situation is safe so care can be provided. If the scene is not safe, they know how to properly move victims onto stretchers and bring them to medical without further injuring the sailors. Throughout the years, stretcher bearers have played pivotal roles in keeping our sailors alive, making anyone a potential hero to another sailor in desperate need. To find out more about stretcher bearers, talk to one of your local hospital corpsmen.