* Includes units organized under TOE 8-600 series (evacuation, preventative medicine,
laboratory, veterinary, dental, dispensary and professional specialty teams.
The above chart depicts a type organization. The actual structure of a medical
brigade will depend upon the mission, the tactical situation, and the strength of
the supported force.
Figure 5-1. Type medical brigade.
c. Health service support in the corps is planned by the corps surgeon--a
special staff officer--but is provided by units of the medical brigade or group (paras 5-8
thru 5-11), which is part of the COSCOM.
d. The COSCOM is organized to satisfy the specific mission of the corps. The
COSCOM does not have an organic surgeon or surgeon's section. The commander of
the medical brigade or group headquarters assigned to the COSCOM has the role of
COSCOM surgeon. Whether the COSCOM MEDCOM and control headquarters is a
medical brigade or a medical group depends entirely on the corps mission, the enemy,
the terrain, the availability of forces, and the evacuation policy.
e. Whereas the corps surgeon makes long-range plans for health service
support of the corps, the commander of the medical brigade/group converts these long-
range plans into day-to-day operations for the fulfillment of the health service mission.
This medical commander is the operator and director of the health service support
system of the corps. When the corps force to be supported dictates that the command
and control headquarters in the COSCOM be a medical brigade, the medical brigade
commander is the operator of the corps level health service support system. When the
corps situation is such that a smaller MEDCOM and control headquarters can be
MD0002
5-3