Chicago's gun violence problem is so serious the Navy is now training its medics in a hospital there for them to gain experience dealing with battlefield-like injuries.

According to The Wall Street Journal, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital in the west side of Chicago is hosting medics who will soon be deployed overseas. The hospital and its level 1 trauma center see a massive amount of patients with firearms wounds — 30 percent of the hospital's total patients, compared to the national average of 4.2 percent.

"The experience here can't be replicated elsewhere, unless you have a major land invasion," Stroger Hospital's Dr. Faran Bokhari told the Journal.

Defense Department spokeswoman Maj. Carla Gleason told the news outlet the training program is essential for medics preparing to be deployed.

"Corpsmen are not routinely exposed to trauma or critically injured patients during their first assignments," Gleason said. This "realistic, hands-on trauma training will allow them to hone their skills and increase their readiness."

Chicago has been plagued by gun violence in recent years. The Chicago Sun-Times reported 2017 saw 664 murders and more than 3,500 shooting victims in Chicago. In 2016, there were roughly 800 more shooting victims and 762 homicides.