Acute pain. You look down and see a red spot spreading. You know the end is near as you fall to the ground. Your rifle lands next to you. BANG! The men around you shoot and advance. This land has been at war with itself for a year. In the distance you can see the gray uniforms of the Confederates. Then everything is black. You wake up to see a pause in the fighting as two men pick you up on a gurney and carry you to the waiting carriage. While Napoleon's personal surgeon, Dominique-Jean Larrey, invented the "flying ambulance", the world's first modern version of an ambulance service. .(5) True battlefield medicine, and related to this true EMS, did not begin until Dr. Letterman established the three-tiered battlefield medical system(1). This included an emergency room, the patient was then transferred to a field hospital and finally to a normal hospital. This revolutionary system at the time of design (civil war) increased survival rates and began to provide timely medical care. (3) There were few health practices at the beginning and before the Civil War. There was also little in the way of an actual medical corps. The surgeon general at the time, Thomas Lawson, MD, believed that the health practices were “unnecessary” and that his methods were “proper and effective.” Lawson rose to this position by seniority before being impeached by the public. Following his impeachment he then allowed the creation of the Sanitary Commission (early form of the Red Cross), as well as the implementation of Dr. Letterman's three-tiered approach. If it weren't for innovations like these, our entire medical practice would be years behind what it is today. (1) Rat-a-tat-tat, Rat-a-tat-tat. The loud crack of the machine... in the center of the paper... imitated by that of doctors or non-military doctors. Most military doctors are trained in multiple disciplines. The main reason for this is due to the instability of responsibilities. A medic in the military can treat malnutrition one minute and rapid bleeding the next. The Combat Medics' skill set hasn't changed much; however, there is now training in psychology. Military medicine has a long and noble history full of twists and turns. Today, the practice of medicine in the Army has allowed us to bring more men and women home from combat; A standard that, although unfortunately it exists, is welcome. Military healthcare workers prove to be a vital and necessary service that goes unsung. Today, military medical professionals are warrior monks on the battlefield, practicing a peaceful art in a dangerous area. Save everyone's life, regardless of creed.