| rdfs:comment | - Highly experienced Imperial Guard regiments, those that have been operational for many years and whose members are considered veterans, are likely to field a great number of Field Chirurgeons in their ranks. While some have assuredly received specific training under the tutelage of the regiment's medics or external Medicae Field Units, others might have simply picked up their skills throughout years of exposure to the horrors of war. Those Imperial Guardsmen who survive their first few battles are all but guaranteed to have sustained a number of wounds, and someone must step forward to treat the injured with whatever skills they possess and whatever supplies are available on hand. Over time, and through loss and strife, some of these impromptu practitioners of combat medicine become knowle
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| abstract | - Highly experienced Imperial Guard regiments, those that have been operational for many years and whose members are considered veterans, are likely to field a great number of Field Chirurgeons in their ranks. While some have assuredly received specific training under the tutelage of the regiment's medics or external Medicae Field Units, others might have simply picked up their skills throughout years of exposure to the horrors of war. Those Imperial Guardsmen who survive their first few battles are all but guaranteed to have sustained a number of wounds, and someone must step forward to treat the injured with whatever skills they possess and whatever supplies are available on hand. Over time, and through loss and strife, some of these impromptu practitioners of combat medicine become knowledgeable enough to be considered qualified menders -- by their squads, at least, if not by outsiders. Almost all veteran Imperial Guardsmen owe their lives to the swift intervention of their comrades several times over, and skilled Field Chirurgeons command the undeniable respect of their comrades, even if they cannot preserve all of their lives. Soldiers who have learned the arts of stitching flesh and setting bones in the field tend to be extremely resourceful, but some are also more callous than their peers, for those they mend often die shortly thereafter, brought down by enemy fire or xenos creatures despite the Field Chirurgeon's prior intervention. Still, there is little for it but to carry on, saving anyone they can and letting the rest meet the Emperor with the most dignity possible in the field. The presence of skilled Field Chirurgeons can turn the tide of a skirmish, a battle, or even a war. Saving even a single life can occasionally have incredible ramifications, whether it belongs to a common trooper of the line or a Lord General. The Field Chirurgeon might appear at first glance to be a variant of the Combat Medic, and it is true that the two share a great deal in some regards. Indeed, many Medics might decide to branch out into the Field Chirurgeon Advanced Speciality, and this is in no small part because the two fill similar but nonetheless distinctly different roles. While both are concerned with the treatment of allies and saving squad mates, the Field Chirurgeon is particularly adept at returning a wounded soldier to the field immediately to fight on. Field Chirurgeons frequently do not have the luxury or benefit of support facilities and extra orderlies, and thus rely less upon such things for their treatment methods. While a Medic on the battlefields of the late 41st Millennium can certainly operate under such conditions, the Field Chirurgeon excels when faced with terribly injured allies and scant supplies with which to heal them.
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