Plural of corpsman; medical personnel serving in the military, especially those trained to provide first aid and medical care to soldiers.
From corps (military unit) + man. The term developed in military contexts to describe specialized medical soldiers attached to military units.
Navy corpsmen are legendary in military history—they're the combat medics who literally keep soldiers alive under fire, and they're often more trusted than distant doctors by the troops they serve.
Medical corps traditionally used masculine generic 'men' despite female participation, especially U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsmen. Language lagged behind women's service and competence in combat medicine.
Use 'hospital corpsmen,' 'medical corpsmen,' or role-specific descriptors like 'field medic' or 'combat medic' when appropriate.
["medical personnel","hospital corpspersons","field medics","combat medics"]
Women have served as Hospital Corpsmen since 1942, with groundbreaking contributions to military medicine that institutional language has often obscured.
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