USAREUR Units - 31st Medical Gp

31st Medical Gp Plans Exercise

DARMSTADT, Germany (S&S)
Members of the 31st Medical Gp will take to the field on Monday for annual training exercises that will cover an area of about 50 miles and bring into play 11 of its own units and eight attached medical units, as well as about 100 German soldiers. The exercise has been named Surge On II.

Mission of the group will be to provide Army level medical service to a two-division corps. The mission will include hospitalization, surface evacuation and medical area service, air evacuation, dental service, medical supply and maintenance support and preventive medicine support.

The exercise has as its objective a challenge to the capability both of the group and attached units to provide Army level medical support in mobile tactical operations.

Further, it will aim at determining the most suitable deployment of air and ground elements; implement air loading plans of the surgical hospital in movement by cargo helicopter, and challenge elements of the group in the utilization of temporary river crossing means. Other objectives, of course, are included in the concept of the exercise.

This Sunday, all participating elements will move to operational areas to provide direct support to the "III Corps," consisting of two mechanized infantry divisions. These are simulated. The next day the advanced alert stage will be declared at noon. However, the real action will start on Monday, when handling of "patients" begin with the initial input of simulated casualties who will be evacuated.

The start of the exercise on Tuesday will mark the withdrawal of NATO forces in the face of armored aggressor advances in the Allied corps sector. Elements of a surgical hospital are scheduled to be airlifted by helicopter. Land vehicles and equipment not transported by air will utilize temporary bridging over the Main River and join air-lifted elements the following day.

On June 5, treatment and evacuation units are scheduled to relocate by utilizing temporary engineer bridging.
The following day the Army is to release the "13th Armd Div" to the "III Corps" which moves into attack positions east of the Rhine and north of the Main River and then the division will counterattack. Casualties will continue in a patient status.

Participating in the exercises will be the following units of the 31st Medical Gp: Hq and Hq Det; 7th Evac Hosp; 5th and 31st Surgical hospitals; Hq and Hq Det, 34th Med Bn; 95th, 557th and 655th medical companies; 45th Med Co (Air Ambulance); 547th Med Co, and 735th Med Det.

Attached medical units are: 67th Medical Depot Co; 86th and 122nd dental service detachments; Hq and Hq Det, 36th Med Bn; 427th Med Co; 629th Med Co; 695th Med Co, and 485th Med Lab.