e. As the Medical Department geared for World War II, the Regular Army
Medical Administrative Corps was replaced by the Pharmacy Corps that absorbed the
Regular Army Medical Administrative Corps officers. During World War II, then, there
was three Army corps with similar or overlapping functions--the Regular Army
Pharmacy Corps, the Sanitary Corps of the Army Reserves, and the Medical
Administrative Corps of the Army Reserves.
f. On August 4, 1947, the MS was authorized for both the Regular Army and the
Reserves to replace the Pharmacy Corps, the Sanitary Corps, and the Medical
Administrative Corps. Officers of these corps were absorbed into the MS.
3-32. DUTIES OF MEDICAL SERVICE CORPS OFFICERS
The primary function of the Army MS is to assist other AMEDD corps in providing
health care for the US Army. Because of the nature and complexity of the AMEDD
mission, the MS must provide for a far greater than average degree of specialization in
almost every field of endeavor within its area of responsibility. Some of the types of
assignments in the continental US and overseas for which MS officers are qualified
through education, training, and experience are listed below:
a. Command medical organizations, facilities, and units.
b. Serve as staff officer in medical organizations, facilities and units, and in non-
medical organizations when authorized (plans, operations, and training staff officer; field
medical assistant; and so forth).
c. Perform duties as aviator, commander, or staff officer in medical helicopter
units.
d. Serve as comptroller, management analyst, administrative officer, adjutant,
personnel management officer, manpower control officer, personnel staff officer,
headquarters unit commander, automatic data processing system officer, budget and
fiscal officer, or machine records officer in medical and designated non-medical facilities
at all levels.
e. Supervise medical supply operations in medical centers, US Army community
hospitals, overseas hospitals, medical depots, field medical units, and division medical
support or serve as supply staff officer or purchasing and contracting officer in such
facilities.
g. Serve as patient administrator.
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