MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- As a Navy corpsman, providing Marines with battlefield medicine and providing fields of fire are what dreams are made of for Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Phillip N. Alexanian, 1st Marine Division Surgeon's Office of Education and Training.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 28-year-old from Whittier, Calif., was called upon time and time again to not only carry out his duties as a corpsman, but also provide fire with an M40A3 sniper rifle in place of a wounded assistant team leader who was shot in the hand.

"After being shot at by insurgents and showered with mortars every day, it's pretty easy to pick up a weapon and really want to use it," Alexanian said.

The sailor's eyes widened as he described the feeling of having to take care of Marines with more than bandages and medication.

"I love being a corpsman, but the best medicine you can give a Marine is being his rifleman," Alexanian said.

Although corpsmen are trained in weapons handling, their combat duties are primarily reserved for treating the wounded, he explained.

"It's good to know what you're doing." A corpsman may be put into position where he has to fire his weapon, he added.

Platoon commanders are often against attaching their corpsmen to the four-man teams which exterminate the enemy forces, since they are generally occupied in the rear with treating casualties, said Sgt. John Ethan Place, scout sniper, sniper platoon, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.

Since Alexanian had prior combat experience, he was allowed by his platoon sergeant to attach temporarily to the team of snipers.

The first time the sailor was called upon to reinforce the team with some serious firepower was in early April 2004.

The Jolan District in Fallujah was the location where Alexanian's team nestled themselves.

It was also the site of some of the bloodiest encounters with insurgents. In the month of April alone, the platoon was responsible for more than 45 confirmed kills, according to Place.

One encounter with the enemy revealed a barrage of fire from insurgents who attacked with everything from rifle fire to cars laden with explosives, Alexanian said. "The platoon was holed up in two separate houses and we were holding our ground."

"They (insurgents) were relentless in their efforts to not give up a weapons cache," Place said.

"In one, two hour increment, they shot around 20 to 25 rocket-propelled grenades our way."

Place described Alexanian as the most active corpsman he ever met due to the sailor's tenacity in returning to the front lines with the Marines after treating mass casualties.

"Everyday he was doing something to keep himself busy. He was always volunteering to help someone or take on a new responsibility," Place said.

Alexanian credited his performance to the thorough weapons training he received from Marines during his deployment in Iraq.

"The Marines want to have confidence in you, and if you're a corpsman and you know how to handle a weapon, it boosts the morale within the unit," Alexanian said. "It gives them confidence and they trust you to be there for them when rounds are flying everywhere."

The sailor remained modest when discussing the details of his encounters in combat and was simply proud to serve among the nations finest.

"I was just doing my job taking care of my Marines," Alexanian said.

E-mail Lance Cpl. Rosas at antonio.rosas@usmc.mil.