HM1 Justin Wallace, NECC IDC Corpsman of the Year

By MCS2 Jesse Hyatt
U.S. Navy

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Justin Wallace, a native of Poulsbo, prepares to dive the waters of the Savannah River in support of the salvage of Civil War ironclad CSS Georgia. Navy divers and explosive ordnance disposal technicians are working in conjunction with archaeologists, conservationists, Naval History and Heritage Command, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to salvage and preserve CSS Georgia. The project is directed by Naval Sea Systems Command. Photos: MCS2 Jesse A. Hyatt / U.S. Navy

SAVANNAH, Ga. — As old war movies hit the climax of action, a frantic call for “doc” often rings out.

This sound is the call for medical help. Often, the “doc” on the other side of that call is a Navy corpsman. Corpsmen are the enlisted medical personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps. In the field and on the deck plates, “doc” is one on whom the Department of the Navy has come to depend.

When Navy divers of Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2 Company 2-3 hit the water of the Savannah River salvaging the CSS Georgia in Savannah, Georgia, they have their own doc. Hospital Corpsman 1st Justin Wallace, a native of Poulsbo, is who they lean on for on-site medical support.

Recognized July 23 as Navy Expeditionary Combat Command’s Independent Duty Corpsman of the Year for 2015, he is no one-trick pony, serving as a qualified member of the dive team. He is in the water with divers and performs the all the support roles of the dive team, on top of being the duty corpsman.

“His presence is critical,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jason Potts, on-scene commander for Task Element CSS Georgia. “You never realize how important your corpsman is until you have an emergency, and then you see why you have him out there. It’s in those emergencies that you see the real value, the benefits of a corpsman.”

Corpsmen perform medical care every day, throughout the fleet but, as an independent duty corpsman, Wallace has trained beyond the average enlisted medical professional. IDC school is a 12-month course where experienced corpsmen go to learn to function as the lone medical support when medical officers and facilities are not readily available. The course trains corpsman to be subject matter experts in all aspects of the corpsman rates.

“When I went through corpsman school 10 years ago, the IDCs were what you wanted to be, the top you wanted to be,” Wallace said. “I am at the top of my peers.”

Wallace not only draws from his training, but 10-plus years of experience in field. He has completed two tours with the Marine Corps, deploying twice to Iraq in support of Global War on Terrorism.

“I enjoyed the experience fully,” Wallace said. “I’ll never forget some of the things I’ve seen and done. I truly enjoyed my time with the Marines.”

The award Wallace received is not just a command award with only a handful of Sailors up for the honor. Navy Expeditionary Combat Command is a parent command to Navy expeditionary commands on both coasts. Wallace earned this award against stiff competition from around the country.

“I am super excited that I won it,” Wallace said. “I really didn’t think I would. I had a good package, but I didn’t think I would win it.”

The day after Wallace learned of his honor, he got right back to work – diving as part of the team to rig and raise the shaft and propeller of CSS Georgia.