Annual Report of the Surgeon General United States Army Fiscal Year 1961
COMBAT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Fiscal year 1961 was the second year of operation of an intensive and highly concentrated AMEDS Combat Development Program. The AMEDS Combat Development Group established and conducted an expanded combat development study program which, it is hoped,
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will provide the Army Medical Service with the needed organizational and operational concepts for the future. Studies were actively conducted, with emphasis being placed on casualty and patient workload derived from nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare, and from the possible use of improved conventional and sophisticated weapons systems. Guidance provided by The Surgeon General also assisted in the development of both a proposed dental service and a proposed veterinary service for the long-range Army.
Additionally, contracts were awarded to civilian operations research agencies to provide a scientific and dispassionate evaluation of the various operational concepts which had been proposed.
The second of a proposed series of AMEDS combat development conferences was conducted with representation from organizations and agencies concerned with the future development of the AMEDS operational and organizational concepts. Representation included medical service personnel from each CONUS Army headquarters, Army service schools, USCONARC, various military medical centers, and OTSG. Considerable progress was thus achieved to insure a sound basis for the development and continuing refinement of an optimum field medical service, as it relates to the overall combat efficiency of the Army.
During this year, frequent liaison visits were made to the many military and civilian agencies whose interest was in the future concepts for the Army, and particularly the support role of the Army Medical Service.
In the field of qualitative materiel requirements, the AMEDS Combat Development Group established a vigorous program for participation, with other combat development and research and development agencies, in the establishment and review of materiel requirements which may have an impact on the Army Medical Service.
To enable active participation and freer interchange of information between the AMEDS Combat Development Group and the Medical Field Service School, action was taken to relocate the AMEDS Combat Development Group from the Forest Glen Section of Walter Reed Army Medical Center to Brooke Army Medical Center. This will be effective on 1 July 1961 and will provide the Group with an additional source of highly qualified personnel.
The definitive goals established and the extensive research accomplished by the AMEDS Combat Development Group are indicative of the program which The Surgeon General is attempting to maintain in order to meet his responsibilities as the trustee of the Army Medical Service of the future.
