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DEPLOYED HOSPITALS COULD NOT

OPERATE ACCORDING TO DOCTRINE


Some hospitals could not perform their doctrinal mission because

of a lack of mobility.    As a result, only portions of these

hospitals' bed capacity and surgical capability were moved

forward when the ground war started.    For example, the 60-bed

Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals are expected to move with the

combat units and operate in the rear combat areas.    To do this

the hospitals are designed to be 100 percent mobile.    However,

because of the speed of the battle and the shortage of trucks and

materiel-handling equipment, some Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals

took only a portion of their bed capacity and surgical capability

ii order t~ be in position to provide surgical support early in

tha gr~und camp~ig?i.   According to Army reports, over 40 percent

~ the befl capac~t~ of these units us left behind the line of

~~rture.


    LEMS WITH PAT~~~

~UATION AND ~~£ATION


During Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm problems arose in the

effective use of ambulances and in the evacuation of patients.

Ground ambulances could not be used as much as planned because of

the rugged terrain, lack of navigational equipment, and the

distances between hospitals and the front lines.    Even the air


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