Annual Report of the Surgeon General United States Army Fiscal Year 1961
PREPAREDNESS
Mobilization Plan
The AMEDS Mobilization Plan, which was formerly published as the AMEDS Mobilization Program, was issued on 15 May 1961. Experience had indicated that the program format previously employed was not conducive to definitive AMEDS mobilization planning in support of the Army Strategic Capabilities Plan. Among the difficulties encountered was the fact that the document was not easily kept current since it was based upon the peacetime program system and the receipt of annual fiscal year DA mobilization planning and programing guidance. In order to improve AMEDS mobilization planning, a draft mobilization plan was developed on a trial basis incorporating many suggestions which had been received from the field. This draft plan, in turn, was distributed to the commanders of AMEDS class I installations and activities as well as to the Commanding General, USCONARC. All addressees were requested to provide their evaluation, review, and comment. Based upon the comments received, it was determined that the system which would serve in providing the documentation required to cover emergency conditions should be based on the military planning system. The result is the aforementioned AMEDS Mobilization Plan, a major feature of which is the establishment of a no-year basis for mobilization planning, thereby eliminating the timelag of fiscal year programing.
The format and organization of this plan follows the DA Mobilization Planning and Programing Directive (U) and the Army Strategic Capabilities Plan (U). Narrative guidance in the AMEDS plan does not repeat peacetime guidance which is continued during mobilization, but rather limits discussion to matters which are not elsewhere set forth. This new plan is further designed to stand alone as a separate planning document and will be maintained up to date on a continuing basis. This document brings together the various emergency and
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mobilization documents which The Surgeon General is required to develop into an AMEDS family of plans; for example?
AMEDS Mobilization Plan (U).
Supplement I.?OTSG Checklist of Emergency Actions (U).
Volume I.?Readiness File.
Volume II.?Implementing Actions.
Supplement II.?OTSG Medical Continuity of Operation Plan (U).
Supplement III.?AMEDS Mobilization Financial Management Plan for Emergency and Mobilization Conditions (U).
Convertible Bus-Type Ambulance Vehicles
As a means of improving emergency surface patient evacuation, The Surgeon General has proposed to the Chief of Transportation that all administrative bus vehicles purchased for U.S. Army use be capable of conversion for patient-carrying usage. Data obtained from worldwide proponents of Army administrative vehicles indicate that they favorably support The Surgeon General?s proposal.
Because of contractual arrangements and certain technical features which require design study, the Chief of Transportation advised The Surgeon General that procurement of the current integral-type convertible bus vehicle could not be arranged before fiscal year 1963. Additionally, industry was being queried and requested to furnish estimates on redesigning, as a convertible ambulance vehicle, all of the body-on-chassis-type administrative purpose bus vehicles scheduled for procurement in fiscal year 1962.
Design specifications and technical characteristics for these type vehicles are being handled by the Chief of Ordnance. Action is also being taken under the monitorship of the Chief of Ordnance to standardize convertible military bus characteristics among the three services. Technical coordination between the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force indicates triservice agreement with the proposal of The Surgeon General, U.S. Army, to provide emergency patient carrying capabilities within administrative purpose vehicles.
Reorganization of TOE Units in CONUS
Two separate air ambulance platoons, the 47th at Fort Ord and the 57th at Fort George G. Meade, Md., were reorganized as helicopter ambulance detachments, TOE 8-500. The 21st Air Ambulance Platoon, Fort Benning, Ga., became an organic platoon of the 45th Medical Company Air Ambulance, Fort Bragg. With the reorganization of these units, the total number of medical detachments (helicopter
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ambulance) in CONUS became three, the third detachment being the 82d Air Ambulance Detachment, at Brooke Army Medical Center.
Three medical clearing companies, three medical battalions, and one Army medical depot were reorganized under the D-series tables during the year.
