Army Medical Department Issues from Operation Dessert Shield
Abstract
At the outset of Operation Desert Shield, the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) quickly realized that it would be required to play a critical role in the operation. Throughout the crisis, however, significant challenges arose along the path of preparation. The AMEDD is organized with, roughly, seventy- five percent of its forces in the reserve components. Much of the call-up ordered by the President was for medical units and personnel. It is because of this significant weighting in the reserves of the medical assets that many of the issues were identified. It is also true that the use of the unique Presidential Call-up authority surfaced some of these issues. This paper focuses on issues that presented themselves as the process of responding to the crisis unfolded. They are: Deployability criteria of the Reserve Component personnel; Clarity of readiness status of units being activated; and, Command and control of medical assets in theater. Each issue is very broad in and of itself, but is further narrowed in the discussion to the relationships between law or policy and the realities of the units attempting to execute those policies. The methodology for the collection of issues consisted of interviews with leaders, consultants, and officers within the Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Army, and at the Headquarters, U.S. Army Health Services Command and the Academy of Health Sciences, U.S. Army. A literature review was conducted of the legal and policy documents relating to the Presidential Call-up authority and the implementation of that Executive Order. The review included existing and developing AMEDD doctrinal literature to draw comparisons to the events as they occurred.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA236932
Entities
People
- Gerald A. Palmer
Organizations
- United States Army War College