HOSPITALMAN (HN)
The U.S. Navy medical and dental hospitalman rating — HN.
OVERVIEW
Hospitalman (HN) is the U.S. Navy's general-detail medical apprentice rating for non-rated Sailors at paygrades E-1 through E-3 in the Hospital Corpsman pipeline. Unlike the other general-detail apprentice ratings (AN/SN/FN/CN), Hospitalman apprentices attend Hospital Corpsman A-school during their apprentice paygrades and are designated HM upon advancement to E-4.
The medical community supports the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps as the Navy's organic medical force, operating Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Commands (NMRTCs), expeditionary medical facilities, hospital ships, Fleet Marine Force units, and operational platoons. Hospital corpsmen are uniquely also assigned to Marine Corps units as 'Devil Docs.'
A-school for the rating runs ~14 weeks (HM A-school) at Hospital Corpsman A-School (Basic Hospital Corps School), Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston TX, where Sailors complete the technical foundation needed to report to their first fleet command. Entry requires the ASVAB line score VE+MK+GS=156 and an enlistment obligation of 4–6 years. HNs advance through the standard enlisted paygrade structure (E-1 through E-9), competing in the Navy-Wide Advancement Examination (NWAE) at E-4 through E-6 and via the Selection Board at E-7 through E-9. Senior HNs typically serve as Leading Petty Officer (LPO), Work Center Supervisor, Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO), or Command Master Chief (CMC), and may pursue Limited Duty Officer (LDO), Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), or commissioning programs such as STA-21, MECP, or OCS.
Across the active force, HN Sailors are essential to the Navy's mission readiness, and the rating remains an in-demand career field with strong reenlistment bonuses (SRB), advancement opportunities, and pathways into Navy Reserve, civilian DoD, and industry careers after service.
WHAT HNs DO
Hospitalmen attend Basic Hospital Corps School at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, complete clinical rotations at Naval Medical Centers and Naval Hospitals, and provide direct patient care under the supervision of designated Hospital Corpsmen and medical officers during their apprentice tour.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Hospitalmen attend Basic Hospital Corps School at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, complete clinical rotations at Naval Medical Centers and Naval Hospitals, and provide direct patient care under the supervision of designated Hospital Corpsmen and medical officers during their apprentice tour.
- Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior HNs as required by the chain of command.
- Lead the HN work center as Leading Petty Officer or Work Center Supervisor — managing maintenance documentation in 3M/MFOM, parts ordering, and personnel qualifications.
- Support general military training (GMT), damage control, force protection, and watch-bill assignments common to every Sailor regardless of rating.
HISTORY
Hospitalman apprentice was formalized in the 1948 enlisted restructuring as the entry-level medical color-group rating. The Hospital Corps itself was established by act of Congress in 1898.
The Navy Hospital Corps was established 17 June 1898 by act of Congress, consolidating earlier Surgeon's Steward and Apothecary ratings into a single unified enlisted medical specialty. The Hospital Corps is the most decorated rating in the U.S. Navy, with 22 Medals of Honor and hundreds of Navy Crosses earned in combat alongside Marines.
Today the Hospitalman (HN) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern HNs benefit from the Sailor 2025 personnel-system reforms, the Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) training continuum, and credentialing through the Navy COOL program — turning rating qualifications into industry-recognized certifications and licenses.
The rating's structure, training pipeline, and operational employment continue to evolve alongside the Navy's transition to Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), Project Overmatch, and the Force Design 2045 fleet architecture, ensuring HNs remain central to the warfighting mission.
TRAINING PIPELINE
- 1. Recruit Training (Boot Camp)~10 weeksNaval Station Great Lakes, ILInitial entry training for all U.S. Navy enlisted Sailors.
- 2. Hospitalman Pipeline~14 weeks (HM A-school)Hospital Corpsman A-School (Basic Hospital Corps School), Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston TXApprentice/striker training in the medical accession pipeline before sub-rating designation.
TYPICAL CAREER PATH
- E-1/E-3HospitalmanEntry tier; hospitalman accession track in the medical community.
- E-4Designated Petty Officer (sub-rating)Designation into a target rating with full A-/C-school qualification.
- E-7+Chief Petty Officer (sub-rating)Senior enlisted leader of the designated rating in the command.
TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS
- Naval Medical Centers (Portsmouth, San Diego, Bethesda)
- Naval Hospitals worldwide
- Branch Health Clinics aboard ships and shore
EXAMPLE NECs
- No NECs assigned at apprentice paygrades; NECs accrue after HM designation
- U.S. citizenship and minimum ASVAB VE+MK+GS=156
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Pass the Navy physical and medical screening
- Naval Medical Centers (Portsmouth, San Diego, Bethesda)
- Naval Hospitals worldwide
- Branch Health Clinics aboard ships and shore