m. Theater of Operations. A theater of operations is that portion of an area of
conflict necessary for military operations, either offensive or defensive, pursuant to an
assigned mission and for the administration and logistical support incident to such military
operations. A theater of operations includes the area of land, sea, and air that is, or may
become, directly involved in the military operation. A theater of operations is both a
geographical area and a military command. Normally, the theater is divided into a combat
(1) A combat zone is that area required by combat forces for the conduct of
operations.
operations.
(3) The zone of interior (ZI) is that part of the national territory not included in
the theater of operations (CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canal Zone, Virgin
Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Wake Island, Midway, and other minor islands.)
3-25.
MEDICAL REGULATING WITHIN THE COMBAT ZONE
a. Due to surgical backlogs, mass casualty situations, a requirement to provide
specialty care, or the planned movement of a hospital, there may exist a requirement to
transfer patients from one hospital in the combat zone to another hospital within the combat
zone. In these cases, the attending physician will notify the hospital patient administrator
(PAD). The PAD will consolidate all such requests from the hospital and request
movement authority from the medical groups medical regulating office (MRO).
b. If the medical group can transfer the patient or patients to other hospitals
subordinate to it, the group will designate the hospital(s) to receive the patients and notify
the requesting and receiving hospitals of the transfer. The group will also task appropriate
subordinate evacuation units for the transfer of the patients to the designated hospitals.
c. If the group cannot provide the needed hospitalization within its resources, the
group MRO will forward the request to the medical brigade MRO for action. The medical
brigade MRO will then designate the receiving hospitals and notify the subordinate MROs.
Subordinate MROs will then designate the information to the appropriate hospital PAD's
and coordinate evacuation resources for the transfer.
3-26.
MEDICAL REGULATING FROM THE COMBAT ZONE TO THE COMMZ
a. Hospital attending physicians submit daily reports to the hospital PAD listing
the patients requiring evacuation. The PAD assembles all pertinent information and
transmits a report to the medical group headquarters to which the hospital is attached.
This report is a request for transportation as well as a notification of the number of patients
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