Medical Service Areas
The medical service area can be likened to a small medical command. The hospital is the headquarters, whose subordinate elements are the medical and dental dispensaries in the area. These dispensaries provide initial care, and are comparable, in several ways, to the doctor's office or clinic in the suburbs or to the small community hospital. The personnel who staff them provide community medical care, whether they are Seventh Army, 9th Hospital Center, or joint Seventh Army-9th Hospital Center operations. From these facilities, people are referred to specialty clinics in the hospitals for additional care or for hospitalization.

Total care is teamwork not only from the bottom up, but from the top down; interest in the various activities by all headquarters is a must. A constant exchange of information between all concerned creates an atmosphere wherein the best possible care can be provided to the entire community. The establishment of the Medical Command and the instructions given by the Commanding General created such an atmosphere. The net result has been better rapport between all personnel concerned with health care.

8th Finance Disbursing Section
Next is the 8th Finance Disbursing Section, operating as a part of the office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, Comptroller, Medical Command, providing fund control and accounting services for all elements of the Command from Berlin to Bremerhaven to SETAF. It is located in Landstuhl.

10th Medical Laboratory
The 10th Medical Laboratory, also in Landstuhl, provides general medical laboratory services for all of US Army, Europe; their services are also available to the US Air Force and Navy in Europe.

They maintain surveillance over health and disease conditions within the countries where USAREUR personnel are stationed. They provide laboratory reference and consultant services for hospital laboratories throughout USAREUR.

The Laboratory provides consultants to assist in the review of projects, field services, and laboratory investigations in the functional areas of industrial hygiene, water supply and treatment, liquid and solid waste disposal processes and radiological hygiene and general environmental health engineering. They also conduct refresher training for appropriate AMEDD officers and enlisted men in the techniques of preventive medicine. They operate a poison information center, conduct a proficiency training course for medical laboratory personnel and provide a blood bank technicians' course. Geographically, these functions extend from the North Sea to Greece and Turkey in addition to Italy.

Nuclear Research and Development Detachment
The US Army Nuclear Research and Development Detachment In Landstuhl conducts studies on the various medical problems associated with nuclear weapons and their employment. They assist the Surgeon in developing and implementing operational concepts from the United States for continuing medical support in case of nuclear warfare or nuclear radiological contamination. They develop procedures for proper management of nuclear warfare casualties.

The Detachment collects, evaluates, and maintains information pertinent to the medical aspects of nuclear and chemical warfare; radiological, biological, and ionizing radiation hazards, and serves as the USAREUR reference source on such information. They conduct and participate in training conferences, exercises and films on medical aspects of nuclear and chemical warfare. They make qualitative and quantitative radiological analyses when and wherever requested.

Medical Records Detachment
The US Army Medical Records Detachment, Europe, in Landstuhl, operates a central records agency for all medical treatment facilities in Europe. They process and forward individual medical records to the Surgeon General. They also consolidate and submit certain reports for the entire European Theater to the Surgeon General. They compile statistical data and prepare special studies. Coordinating with the automatic data processing division of the Medical Command Comptroller, they maintain the USAREUR Medical Statistical Data Dank.

Medical Regulating Office
The US Army Medical Regulating Office, located at Rbein-Main Airport in Frankfurt, regulates the movement of all in-patients between the US Army, Europe hospitals, from USAREUR hospitals to CONUS hospitals, and to or from other service hospitals. This includes military dependents and other personnel authorized care in Army medical facilities.

To do this they maintain liaison with the Military Airlift Command for intra end inter air evacuation of patients. They also work with the air ambulance units of the US Army, Europe.

They monitor the care provided all US Army personnel who are sick in civilian hospitals. This also includes all military dependents who are in civilian hospitals. For example, if, because of a traffic accident, you or your dependents are hospitalized in Austria, France, Switzerland, the southern part of Italy, or any other part of Europe, you should request that the nearest military facility be informed so that this information can be relayed to your unit and appropriate US medical personnel are made aware of your condition. This is necessary because your personal medical bills will be paid by the US Services and part of your family's medical bills may be paid through the CHAMPUS program.

Blood Bank
Next is a very important separate company, the 655th Medical Company. During peacetime they work with and are a part of the 10th Medical Laboratory located at Landstuhl. They conduct research, and make technical inspections and investigations in matters relating to whole blood and blood derivatives. They also prepare, store, and issue certain biologicals and reagents.

The Blood Bank assists all hospitals, as required, in the establishment and proper maintenance of hospital blood banks and blood donor files. They serve as a blood grouping and control laboratory for Europe. During wartime, this unit divorces itself from the Medical Laboratory and is capable of drawing, processing and issuing the whole blood requirements for USAREUR, as required.

Preventive Medicine Detachment (Provisional)
The next unit is a small one with a big job. The US Army Preventive Medicine Detachment became necessary, upon the reduction of US Forces from Germany, to reconstitute Field Army preventive medicine capabilities within Europe. A preventive medicine company, which formerly belonged to the 7th Medical Brigade, was returned to the United States. This left us with no capability for teaching sanitary procedures to combat elements or to provide specialized preventive medicine inspections within Europe and no capability of responding to any contingency mission. The mission of this detachment, composed of over a dozen men, is to provide preventive medicine support for contingency operations.

They supervise a program of instruction for troops on the preservation of health which includes training a field sanitation team for conducting epidemiological investigations of conditions affectingthe health of troops. The Detachment also performs field surveys and inspections of significant environmental health factors. They collect, evaluate and preserve medical and sanitary data in geographical areas of commitment.

As you can see, this is a large mouthful for such a small unit. To date, they have done this very well. They are located at Grafenwoehr which is the center of field training for combat troops, and in this way they can assist greatly in the sanitary training of these troops,

8000th Civilian Labor Service Group
The 8000th Labor Service Group is composed of nearly 90 German personnel and persons of other nations. They operate 26 dispensaries throughout Germany in support of the labor service units supporting USAREUR and Seventh Army troops. They have technical supervision of the dispensary in Berlin. The personnel of this unit provide dispensary service including nursing care, first aid, evacuation, emergency treatment, immunizations and physical examinations for the personnel of the labor service groups which they support. They also provide preventive medicine and veterinary service and maintain a medical records holding area at the Medical Command Headquarters.

The director of the group serves as a professional consultant to the Surgeon on all matters pertaining to medical care provided to local national personnel in the Federal Republic of Germany. He is the advisor on German medical affairs and maintains a professional relationship with German medical personnel. In so doing, he advises on legal and professional ramifications of German laws and regulations as they relate to medical support of local national personnel. He also provides technical supervision over the activities of the local national aid stations found in some of the supply and maintenance activities.

SUMMARY
This has been a very brief review of some of the major actions which prompted the decision to establish the Medical Command, and a brief description of the numerous small units assigned directly to the Command. These units, though small, have large areas of responsibilities. When put together with the hospitals and with the Field Army elements, the US Army Medical Command, Europe, has the capability of providing the total medical care which is required for the US Forces, their dependents and other authorized personnel within Europe.

(*) Presented at the 1969 Medical-Surgical Training Conference, Garmisch, Germany.

(**) Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence and Operations, USAMEDCOMEUR, and Chief, Intelligence and Operations, USAREUR Office of the Surgeon, APO 09403.

The USAMEDCOMEUR was activated in Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany, on 1 July 1968, as part of the Command, Control and Logistics System 1970. Initially assigned to USAMEDCOMEUR were the 9th Hospital Center, its hospitals, dispensaries and activities; the US Army Veterinary Detachment, Europe; the 8th Finance Disbursing Section; the 10th Medical Laboratory; the 26th Medical Detachment (Illustration); the Medical Regulating Office; the 655th Medical Company (Blood Bank); the USAREUR Preventive Medicine Detachment; the 8000th Civilian Labor Group; and the Benelux (SHAPE) Medical Service Area.

On 1 October 1968, the 7th Medical Brigade with its major units -- the 30th and 31st Medical Groups and the 421st Medical Company (Air Ambulance) -- was added to the Command. On that same date, the Medical Depot at Einsiedlerhof and the medical section of the Supply and Maintenance Agency were formed into the US Army Medical Materiel Center, Europe, marking the first time in Europe that all medical logistics functions were under the control of the USAREUR Chief Surgeon.

On 1 January 1969, the medical facilities in Berlin and those in Italy were assigned to USAMEDCOMEUR. The 9th Hospital Center was phased down in December 1970, and hospitals in that command became Medical Department Activities (MEDDAC) reporting directly to USAMEDCOMEUR.

In March 1971, USAMEDCOMEUR became subordinate to the Theater Army Support Command (TASCOM), while the Office of the Chief Surgeon remained an integral part of Headquarters, USAREUR. On 21 July 1973. the 7th Medical Brigade was inactivated and the 30th and 31st Medical Groups, the 421st Medical Company and all other units subordinate to the 7th Medical Brigade were assigned directly to USAMEDCOMEUR. On 1 July 1973, USAMEDCOMEUR was relieved from assignment to TASCOM and became a major subordinate command of USAREUR. On 1 July 1974, the Teheran MEDDAC was activated and assumed responsibility for Army medical support in the Middle East area. On 1 April 1975, the 31st Medical Group was inactivated, placing all combat support hospitals and other field medical units under the 30th Medical Group.

On 21 October 1978, in another major move to improve combat readiness, another medical group -- the 68th Medical Group -- will be reactivated and certain medical units previously assigned to USAMEDCOMEUR (such as ground ambulance companies and combat support hospitals) will come under the command & control of the V and VII Corps. The 68th Medical Group will command units of V Corps, and the 30th Medical Group will manaqe the field medical units VII Corps. The 421st Medical Company will remain under the control of the 7th Medical Command and continue to provide air ambulance service throughout the theater.

After this upcoming action in October 1978, the 7th Medical Command will control all fixed medical and dental activities throughout the European Theater, providing medical care services to members of the US Forces and their dependents, while maintaining a readiness for combat.

The redesignation recognizes the command's mission as a continuing one in times of war and peace, and documents the equipment and personnel needed for wartime, the spokesman said.

In a related move to improve medical readiness, certain corps-level medical units, such as ground ambulance companies and combat support hospitals, will be reassigned from 7th MEDCOM to V and VII Corps on Oct. 21.

A second medical group, the 68th (Medical Group), will be reactivated to command medical units of V Corps, while the 30th Medical Group will command the VII Corps units. The 421st Medical Co (Air Ambulance) will come under command of 7th MEDCOM, the spokesman said.