To  prepare  for  advancement,  you  need  to  be familiar  with: 1. The occupational standards for the hospital corpsman  rating  found  in  the  Manual  of  Navy Enlisted Manpower and Personnel Classifications and  Occupational  Standards,  NAVPERS  18068 series 2.  The  Personnel  Advancement  Requirement (PAR),    NAVPERS    1414/4 3.  Appropriate  Navy  training  courses 4.  Any  other  material  that  may  be  required or   recommended   in   the   current   edition   of Bibliography   for   Advancement   Study,   NAV- EDTRA   10052. These  materials  are  discussed  later  in  this chapter under  “Sources   of   Information.” THE  HOSPITAL CORPSMAN   RATING The primary mission of the hospital corpsman is to minister to the sick and wounded. Hospital corpsmen   work   in   a   fantastic   variety   of   jobs associated with the care of the sick and wounded. Their   versatility   ranges   from   general   service hospital  corpsmen  duties  to  highly  trained  and specialized technicians working in the laboratory and   radiography   departments   and   research laboratories. The   most   challenging   assignment   for   an individual  who  has  graduated  from  Advanced Hospital Corps School is independent duty—duty aboard ship or a submarine or at a remote station, independent   of   a   medical   officer—where knowledge   tempered   with   maturity   and   good judgment  is  of  extreme  value. Hospital corpsmen are assigned to ships and stations throughout the world, including Marine Corps  units,  ashore  and  afloat.  Whatever  their technical specialties, whatever their billets, their function is always related to the care of the sick and  wounded. SCOPE OF THIS TRAINING  COURSE Before  studying  any  book,  it  is  a  good  idea to  know  the  purpose  and  the  scope  of  the  book. Here  are  some  of  the  things  you  should  know about  this  training  course. It is designed to give you information on the occupational   (technical)   qualifications   for   ad- vancement  to  HM1  and  HMC. The   occupational   (technical)   qualifications that  were  used  as  a  guide  in  the  preparation  of this training course were taken from the Manual of  Navy  Enlisted  Manpower  and  Personnel Classifications   and   Occupational   Standards, NAVPERS 18068 series. Any later changes in the hospital  corpsman  qualifications  may  not  be incorporated  in  this  training  course.  It  is  therefore important  for  you  to  obtain  and  study  a  set  of the most recent hospital corpsman qualifications. This  training  course  includes  information  that is related to both the knowledge factors and the practical factors of the qualifications for advance- ment. But no training course can take the place of  actual  on-the-job  experience  for  developing skills.  The  training  course  can  help  you  under- stand some of the hews and whys, but you must combine  knowledge  with  experience  before  you can  develop  the  required  skills.  The  Personnel Advancement   Requirement   (PAR),   NAVPERS 1414/4,  should  be  used  along  with  this  training course  whenever  possible. The  following  chapters  of  this  course  deal  with the  technical  subject  matter  of  the  hospital corpsman rating. Before studying these chapters, study the table of contents and note the arrange- ment  of  information.  You  will  find  it  helpful  to get  an  overall  view  of  the  organization  of  this training  course  before  you  start  to  study  it. SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION It  is  very  important  for  you  to  have  an extensive knowledge of the references to consult for  detailed,  authoritative,  up-to-date  informa- tion   on   all   subjects   related   to   the   military standards and to the occupational qualifications of  the  hospital  corpsman  rating. Some of the publications discussed here may change  from  time  to  time,  others  as  the  need arises.   When   you   use   a   publication   that   is subject  to  change  or  revision,  be  sure  you  have the latest edition. When using any publication that is kept current by means of changes, be sure you have  a  copy  in  which  all  changes  have  been entered. 1-3