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File: 110196_aacbg_10.txtJTF PROVEN FORCE In early Jan 91, USAFE medical planners developed the concept to support USAFE forces deployed to Turkey in Joint Task Force (JTF) PROVEN FORCE. The AF medical mission included hospitalization and Aeromedical evacuation for all forces throughout Turkey. outpatient care for units without organic medical capability, blood program support, and environmental health services. Most deployed forces were located at Incirlik AB TU and a Turkish air base at Batman. the forward operating location (FOL}. Functional command and control of AF medical forces was organized under the Air Force Forces (AFFOR) Surgeon who reported functionally to the JTF Surgeon. The Incirlik hospital commander was dual hatted as the AFFOR Surgeon and worked closely with the JTF's two other component surgeons. . Concurrent with deployment of JTF PROVEN FORCE to Turkey, most dependents departed Incirlik; this effectively terminated Incirlik's dependent medical care requirements until mid-May l991 Incirlik's hospital expansion from 20 to 60 beds was accommodated with augmentation by 14 personnel in selected specialties. The hospital provided outpatient services for personnel at Incirlik and served as the referral facility for all personnel in Turkey. Flight Surgeons who deployed with flying squadrons provided primary outpatient and preventive medicine services to assigned operational personnel. The hospital maintained close professional relations with the 9 additional AF and Army physicians at Incirlik and the 3 Army and AF physicians at Batman. Immediate Aeromedical evacuation (A/E) capability was provided by qualified inplace medical staff at the Incirlik hospital until relieved by 65 activated Reserve A/E medics. Upon arrival in Turkey, Reserve A/E forces established a Tactical Aeromedical Evacuation System which included an A/E Control Element (AECE), medical in-flight treatment crews, a 25-bed Mobile Aeromedical Staging Facility (MASF), and Aeromedical Evacuation Liaison Teams (AELT). The AECE was able to simplify A/E management in Turkey by collocating with the Joint Rescue Coordination Center at the Incirlik base command post. Opportune airlift was the only airframe source for [SEE IMAGE FILE] A/E throughout JTF PROVEN FORCE. Incirlik based helicopters and-C-130 alert birds, as well as FOL based helicopters were used for A/E missions. Five A/E crews (25 members) were staged at Incirlik and responded to several emergency missions. Round the clock alert, routine Aeromedical evacuations, and training missions fully occupied crew time. Medical regulating, the process of selecting a destination hospital, was not applicable within Turkey because patients requiring anything beyond field medical care were transported to the Incirlik hospital. Peacetime medical regulating procedures were used for patients requiring care beyond that which was available at the Incirlik hospital. 10
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