Face of Defense: Navy Corpsman Serves on First Deployment

By Marine Corps Cpl. Mark GarciaRegimental Combat Team 6
COMBAT OUTPOST SHIR GHAZAY, Afghanistan,Sept. 19, 2012 – As a senior in high school, Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class RickyLattimore decided to serve his country. One month after his May 2008graduation, he was on his way to basic training.
Lattimore, a corpsman with Company B,2nd Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 6, said that after playing footballand basketball in high school, he did not receive a scholarship to play sportsin college. Unable to afford continuing his education, he enlisted in the Navy.
“After my senior year, I didn’t get ascholarship to play football or the chance to go to acting school,” saidLattimore, from Dublin, Ga. “My mom couldn’t afford to pay for it, so I had tofigure out a plan to get out of there. At the same time, I had to get aneducation. One day I met a Navy recruiter who had stopped by my job. He askedme if I wanted to join the Navy, and I was all for it after that.”
Not wanting a manual labor job,Lattimore said, he decided to get a job in the Navy that would challenge himmentally.
“I didn’t want some kind of hard laborjob. Instead I was looking for a job where I would need to work with my mind,”he said. “When they offered me the corpsman job, I thought it would be achallenge. I’ve always liked helping people out too, so what better way to dothat than providing medical care? It seemed like the perfect job for me.”
As a corpsman, Lattimore has been ableto work both as a “blue side” and “green side” corpsman. “Blue side” corpsmenprimarily work with the Navy at military hospitals and clinics, while “greenside” corpsmen work alongside Marines.
“I was blue side, and during that time Iwas stationed in Okinawa, Japan, working at the naval hospital. I loved it outthere -- the environment and the people were so nice,” Lattimore said. “After Iwas done, I had the choice to go on a ship or go green side. I didn’t want toreally go on a ship, and getting the chance to work with Marines kind ofintrigued me.”
Since coming over to the green side,Lattimore has been working with the Marines from 2nd Tank Battalion.
“I love tanks. I’ve gotten to learn a lotabout them just from being stationed with them,” Lattimore said. “Being withtanks on this deployment has been very interesting. I mean, there might be afirefight or something going on, but once the insurgents see the tanks, theyusually cease all hostile acts. I’d rather not go anywhere else. I’d like tojust stay with tanks the whole time on I’m on the green side.”
To deal with being separated from hisloved ones, Lattimore said, he takes time to relax while listening to music.
“The best way that I’ve found to copewith being away from my friends and family is just to find a nice little spacewhere I can listen to some music and kind of zone out for a few minutes,”Lattimore said. “I like to just forget everything that’s happening around me,and everything is usually all right after I do that.”
Since enlisting in the Navy, Lattimoresaid, he has wanted to deploy. “I’ve always wanted to go to Afghanistan just soI could say I served my country and did my part,” he added.
Lattimore’s daily tasks include caringfor and looking after the Marines in his platoon and going on any combatoperations where he might be needed.
“Doc Lattimore is pretty laid back. Heknows his job real well, and he’s a great mentor. He definitely looks after usand makes sure we’re all doing all right,” said Marine Corps Sgt. GuenslyDorisca. “In the Marine Corps community we have corpsmen, but I’ve never workedwith a corpsman like him before. I mean he’s part of the platoon. Everything wedo, he’s always a part of it.”