Jed Babbin over on NRO quoted a conversation he had with Ollie North about the front-line medical crews. As a reminder that some things never change, here's a quote from Bill Mauldin's 1944 classic, Up Front:

But the dogface's real hero is the litter-bearer and aid man who goes into all combat situations right along with the infantryman, shares his hardships and dangers, and isn't able to fight back. When the infantryman is down, the medic must get up and help him. That's not pleasant sometimes when there's shooting.

The aid men and litter bearers know that their work is often far more important than that of the surgeon at the operating table; because if it were not for the aid man the casualty would not live to reach the surgeon's table.
...
Put yourself in the wounded guy's shoes when he sees the medic appear over him, and the pain is dulled by morphine, his bleeding is stopped, and his is lifted out and carried back to safety and good surgery. Sure, he's going to love that medic. And after a few dozen men owe their lives to one man, that little pill roller is going to be very well liked indeed.