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File: 123096_sep96_decls2_0024.txt
Subject: MEDICAL OPERATIONS DURING OPERATION DESERT STORM 9 NOV 91
Unit: VAR. BUMED
Parent Organization: BUMED
Box ID: BX303801
Folder Title: VARIOUS BUMED DOCUMENTS FOLDER 6
Document Number: 2
Folder Seq #: 10
Desert Shield resulted in the first use of the MPUAS to meet operational
requirements, and the system provided the required staffing. Inevitably, some
confusion arose over activation procedures. The more difficult problems in im-
plementing the plan resulted from differences between the requirements of this
operation and the assumptions underlying MPUAS. MPUAS is designed to stand up
entire units because the draft mobilization plan developed by BUMED assumed that
MPUAS activation would take place under conditions of full mobilization. In full
mobilization, requirements to maintain peacetime health care and graduate medical
education (GME) will cease. The initial deployment of forces for Desert Shield took
place without mobilization and without a clear doctrine establishing which
CONUS medical missions would be continued. Because full mobilization was not
required and the duration of the operation was unknown, OP-093 decided to con-
tinue full support of GME programs. In addition, the hospital ships and CRTSs
were not initially staffed to full mobilization (M+l) levels.
The decision to preserve GME programs meant that many active-duty person-
nel assigned to a mobilization billet under M:PUAS had to be replaced. The MTFs
that serve as the primary source of active-duty medical personnel for the hospital
ships and fleet hospitals also have the largest teaching programs. Civilian ac-
creditation requirements for these programs place minimums on the number of
experienced specialists available to teach, the capabilities of the hospital, and types
of patients treated. These constraints limit both the type and number of personnel
The GME mission restricted about 25 percent of physi-
cians from deployment.
UPUAS activation also revealed some problems with the availability of non-
medical personnel assigned to support deployable medical platforms. Both the
hospital ships and fleet hospitals require support from nonmedical personnel who
are to be preassigned to so-called deployable medical systems (DEPMEDS) billets at
either the MTF responsible for providing medical department personnel or nearby
nonmedical coyntn ands. The deployment revealed that some nonmedical commands
were unaware of this requirement and had no contingency for the sudden departure
of the nonmedical personnel. In some cases, no DEPMEDS billet existed to support
key nonmedical requirements. In this operation, CINCLANTFLT and CINC-
PACFLT Mled these billets by assigning personnel from fleet units to the medical
units on a TAD basis. In January, however, CINCPACFLT requested the return of
many of these personnel who were required by their operational units to meet other
requirements. Many personnel were assigned to DEPMEDS billets, yet were not
suitable for sea-duty assignment. Personnel in DEPMEDS billets should be
screened to ensure their personal readiness.
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Document 57 f:/Week-37/BX303801/VARIOUS BUMED DOCUMENTS FOLDER 6/medical operations during operation desert storm:1217961126393
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-37
Box ID = BX303801
Unit = VAR. BUMED
Parent Organization = BUMED
Folder Title = VARIOUS BUMED DOCUMENTS FOLDER 6
Folder Seq # = 10
Subject = MEDICAL OPERATIONS DURING OPERATION DESERT STORM
Document Seq # = 2
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 17-DEC-1996