UPDATE ON OPERATION DESERT SHIELD 5 JAN 91

File: 970107_sep96_decls46_0001.txt
Page: 0001
Total Pages: 4

Subject: UPDATE ON OPERATION DESERT SHIELD 5 JAN 91                      

Unit: OTSG        

Parent Organization: HSC         

Box  ID: BX003205

Folder Title: OPERATION DESERT STORM UPDATE                                                                   

Document Number:          2

Folder Seq  #:         41





                                   Department of the Army
                                 HO, 44th Medical Brigade
                                     APO New York 09657


         AFVH-XA                                                 5 January 1991

         MEMORANDUM FOR COL Frederick J. Erdtmann, Preventive    and Military
                           Medicine Consultants Division, HODA     (SGPS-PSP),
                           5109 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3258

         SUBJECT: Update on Operation Desert Shield

         1. It's Saturday here. It rained enough today to put puddles on the
         streets and make mud out of the sand on our compound here. It was the
         second rain we've had here, but the first of any significance. On the
         other hand, places in the desert have suffered some real downpours.
         Although temperatures have reached freezing in the desert, more typical
         temperatures have been low 40's to low 70's. We're still in the rainy
         season so more can be expected. There have been a few cold injuries
         reported, althougn I suspect that they were cold soldiers, and not much
         more. When the wind blows, the wind chill factor can (and did) got down
         to the teens. Since we are at the nadir of winter, and humidity can get
         nigh in the rainy season, I think we're seeing the worst of cold
         temperatures.    We'll see.

         2. The 44th Bde HO, the 74th, and the 2-'7th will be moving soon to
         desert locations, and the relative comfort we've had will diminish.
         However, with all of the lead time we've had, planning +or minimizing
         discomfort should have been ideal. There appears to be a shortage a+
         Army tents so we will be partly depending on locally procured tentage.
         The PM Detachments have enough tents to scrape by but will be
         supplemented with a couple more. The 74th has enhanced its ability to
ucting wooden cargo
         boxes to mount on its 2-1/2 ton truck and its trailer. This action
         increases the height and volume of the cargo area. They are well aware
         a+ the concept of center of gravity, so light items (such as camouflage
         netting) will be at the top of the boxes.

         3. The surveillance program continues to oet better. Hospital
         admissions are well in hand, With data essentially complete through
         November.    December data lag due to difficulties in gettina TAMMis
         printouts from the various hospitals.    A centralized means of tapping
         into the hospital computers does not exist.     The enclosed extract gives
         you an idea of conditions prompting admission to hospital.        Noteworthy
         are the orthopedic and trauma, gastroenteritis (liberal admission
         practices), and declining climatic injuries (no surprise). MAJ R. Moore
         has done a fine job. He actually uses two sources of admission data:
         tne Corps GI Casualty Reporting System, which provides him with a floppy
         of admissions, and the TAMMIS data. He reconciles the two before
         tabulating data. There is lots of scut work in doing thit but he is
         seemingly tireless.    He is also now in charge of the outpatient
         surveillance system, which is a more complicated program. Data sources
         include our two medical groups - MAJ K. Keenan and MAJ E. Eitzen have
         done a great job in getting their subordinate hospitals and clearing
         companies on line with reporting - the separate brigade and regiment,
         and the -Four divisions.    Reporting is relatively slow because there are
         at least 100 treatment stations (BASS, Clr Cos and Plts., etc) in the
         Corps. We're still struggling with getting the non-divisional, non-Med
         Bde units with organic medical support on line.      They're out there

         hit and miss. We've gotten data from some, but the picture has been
         complicated by unit movements, units being transferred to the other

Document 4 f:/Week-36/BX003205/OPERATION DESERT STORM UPDATE/update on operation desert shield 5 jan 91:01029715473747
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-36
Box ID = BX003205
Unit = OTSG
Parent Organization = HSC
Folder Title = OPERATION DESERT STORM UPDATE
Folder Seq # = 41
Subject = UPDATE ON OPERATION DESERT SHIELD 5 JAN 91
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 = 02-JAN-1997