4-41. METHOD OF OPERATIONS
The medical support company is normally located in division support or trains
area. The medical support company provides unit and division level health service
support to units operating in the DSA dependent for this support. This medical
treatment is provided by the treatment platoon.
a. Treatment. The treatment platoon performs triage of patients and provides
medical treatment, within its capabilities, according to the patient's condition. It returns
the patients to duty or transfers them to the holding platoon. If the patient's condition
requires a level of treatment and care in excess of that which is available at the division
level, the patient is evacuated to an appropriate CZH.
b. Holding. The holding capability of the medical support company has been
consolidated in this unit for operation at a single location so as not to encumber forward
elements of the division and deter flexibility of tactical operations. The holding policy of
the division area has been established at 96 hours.
c. Evacuation. Medical evacuation is provided for the injured or wounded
patients by the ambulance platoon of the medical support company. The ambulance
platoon provides evacuation of patients, on an area basis, from unit level treatment
facilities and other units within the DSA to the MSB division treatment station. It also
provides ground ambulance evacuation of patients from the FSB medical companies to
the MSB medical holding platoon. Air and ground evacuation from the MSB division
treatment station to corps hospitals is provided by the corps medical brigade/group.
d. Mobility. The treatment element of the medical support company is designed
to operate from mobile treatment shelters. These shelters require minimum time to
become operational. During augmentation or reconstitution of FSB medical companies
the use of the MTS allows the treatment element to closely follow a maneuver brigade
and provide it responsive support. Sections of the holding platoon can operate from a
2 l/2-ton truck to provide mobility in augmentation of FSB medical companies in the event
a patient holding capability is required in a brigade support area.
e. Medical Supply Procedures. Unit and division--level medical elements,
maintain a division medical supply level of 5 days. The battalion aid stations submit
routine medical supply requests to the DMSO. Emergency requisitions will be
submitted to the supporting medical company. Requests are filled and shipped forward
or are requested from the supporting MESCOM unit. Shipment of medical supplies
forward is coordinated with the movements control officer or accomplished by backhaul
of returning ground and air ambulances.
f. Medical Maintenance Support. The biomedical equipment specialist
assigned to each medical company provides medical maintenance support. The
supporting corps MESCOM unit at its location or on site provides higher-level medical
maintenance support by teams of this unit. The medical support company provides
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