MASH will routinely be further evacuated to one of the two EVAC hospitals for definitive
treatment/evacuation out of the combat zone. The organizational structure and concept
of operations of the MASH specifically designed to facilitate frequent and rapid
displacement to assure readily available resuscitative treatment and minimum
evacuation distances for the critical patient. When employed in support of operations
that require frequent relocation, the MASH, in order to provide close and continuous
resuscitative treatment, will displace by echelon. A forward echelon will displace,
establish at a new site, and begin receiving and treating critical surgical patients while
the remaining element continues care of residual patients until they are stabilized for
further evacuation. Following evacuation, this "stay behind" element then rejoins the
forward element. The CSH (para 5-15) is capable of absorbing the critical patient
workload during the limited period the deploying MASH is unable to accept patients.
For independent brigade operations, the MASH operates from a central location in the
rear of the supported force. When displacement is required, a forward treatment
echelon proceeds to a new location while remaining elements of the hospital continue to
provide patient care until the advance element is capable of receiving and treating
patients at the new site. The remaining rear elements displace to the new location as
soon as residual patients are evacuated.
5-15. COMBAT SUPPORT HOSPITAL (TABLE OF ORGANIZATION AND
EQUIPMENT 8-123)
The mission of the CSH is to provide hospitalization for general classes of
patients within the combat zone. The CSH is normally assigned to the corps medical
brigade and further attached to a medical group. It is allocated based on one per
division or division equivalent; or one per separate brigade operating independently.
a. Organization. The unit is organized as shown in Figure 5-5. There are two
major divisions: administrative services and professional services. Administrative
services include unit headquarters, administration branch, patient administration branch,
food service branch, and supply and service branch. Professional services include
surgical service; medical service; nursing service; and pharmacy, laboratory, and x-ray
service. The professional services of the CSH are organized under the modular
concept, which provides for flexibility in TOE organizational structuring. This is
accomplished by using organic variation modules, expansion modules, and
augmentation modules. Organic variation modules are functionally complete modules
of a fixed strength TOE unit and can be withdrawn to reduce a unit's capability or readily
utilized within a similar TOE to expand a professional or ancillary service capability. An
expansion module is a functionally complete variation module not part of a fixed
strength TOE unit. It is used for medical facility expansion and is reflected in the
TOE 8-640 medical facility expansion teams. An augmentation module is a less than
functionally complete module reflected in cellular TOE that is used to provide a fixed
strength unit with an increased mission capability.
MD0002
5-15