Incidentally, I would add that while he never specified, he very likely may have shipped out as a “general medical officer” with the crew not necessarily knowin

Incidentally, I would add that while he never specified, he very likely may have shipped out as a “general medical officer” with the crew not necessarily knowing he had a deeper skill set. They wouldn’t necessarily twig to it on early deployment. Only when they take on a SEAL team and a surgeon would it become obvious (or he goes on another boat with a surgeon as the GMO). The only obvious clue would have been his being slightly older than a typical GMO.