2-8. Separate Brigade Overview
a. Both the staffing and the equipping of separate brigades are geared toward semi-independent operations. They can serve as planning headquarters for larger reserve forces or major contingency operations. Separate brigades normally conduct operations under the corps command. They can also serve as division reinforcement for short periods. The headquarters and headquarter companies of separate brigades include support elements that would normally be found at division.
b. Separate brigades conduct operations like the divisional brigade; they can fight directly under corps control or perform rear operations, flank security mission operations, or covering force operations.
They can also serve as the corps reserve, or reinforce a division. Separate brigades also have their own cavalry troop, engineer company, military intelligence company, military police platoon, artillery battalion, and support battalion for DS CSS with an imbedded medical company. See FM 7-30 and FM 63-1 for detailed information on the organization and functions of the different brigades.
2-9. Medical Company-Heavy Separate Brigade a. Mission. Same as paragraph 2-4a above.
b. Capabilities. Same as 2-4b above.
c. Basic Organization. This unit is organized into seven basic components: a company head-quarters; a treatment platoon; an ambulance platoon; a DMSO; a PVNTMED section; a MH section; and an optometry section.
d. Dependency. The medical company-heavy separate brigade is dependent on appropriate elements of the corps for patient evacuation (including air and ground ambulance support from the BSA). It is dependent on its brigade and battalion headquarters for CHS operational planning and guidance and for legal, finance, and personnel and administrative services. It is also dependent on its parent support battalion for food service and religious support.
NOTE
The company has organic maintenance assets within its company headquarters and should not require unit-level maintenance support.
2-10. Organizational Structure and Tactical Capabilities of the Medical Company-Heavy Separate Brigade
a. The Medical Company, Heavy Separate Brigade (HSB) (TOE 08437L0) (Figure 2-11) is organized into a company headquarters section; a brigade medical supply office (BMSO), a PVNTMED section, an optometry section; a MH section; a treatment platoon, and an ambulance platoon. The treatment platoon is organized into a platoon headquarters with three treatment squads (six treatment teams), an area support section with an area support squad, an area treatment squad, and a patient-holding squad. The ambulance platoon employs a platoon headquarters, three M113A1 tracked ambulance squads (six M113A1 tracked ambulances) and three-wheeled ambulance squads (6-wheeled ambulances) with a combined total of 12 ambulances.
b. For vehicle retrieval and heavy-wheeled maintenance, the company headquarters employs a 5-ton truck wrecker.
c. For tailgate operations and rapid mobility of the clearing station, the treatment platoon employs three 5-ton expansible vans (one for the area support squad and two for the area support treatment squad).
NOTE
The 5-ton truck wrecker and the 5-ton expansible van are also employ-ed by memploy-edical companies (TOE 08438L000 and TOE 08438L100) of the separate infantry brigade.
d. For communications (see Appendix I), the company employs AM and FM tactical radios, unit-level computers, a manual switchboard with wire telephones, and DNVTs. The company headquarters establishes an FM radio net and an internal wire net for C2. It also establishes an AM net capability for reach-back support.
Figure 2-11. Medical company-heavy separate brigade (TOE 08437L0), support battalion, heavy separate brigade.
2-11. Armored Cavalry Regiment Overview
a. The ACR is a self-contained combined arms organization composed of armored cavalry squadrons (ACS), an aviation squadron, a support squadron, and separate CS companies and batteries. The ACR is a separate unit that supports the corps or a joint task force (JTF). Corps CS units and divisional maneuver battalions often reinforce it. The ACR operates independently over a wide area and at extended distances from other units. The ACR is a highly mobile, armored force capable of fighting the fully mechanized threat in the environmental states of war or conflict.
b. Armored cavalry regiments are provided DS CSS by an organic support squadron with an imbedded medical troop providing CHS.
c. See FM 17-95 for additional information on the organization and functions of the ACR. Also, see FM 63-1 on the ACR support squadron’s organization and operations.
2-12. Medical Troop-Armored Cavalry Regiment
a. Mission. Same as 2-4a above except it supports the ACR.
b. Capabilities. Same as 2-4b above except it has organic mental health and preventive medicine sections.
c. Basic Organization. The medical troop-ACR is organized into seven basic components: a company headquarters, a treatment platoon, an ambulance platoon, a regimental medical supply office (RMSO), a PVNTMED section, and an optometry section.
d. Dependency. The medical troop-ACR is dependent on appropriate elements of the corps and the support squad for patient evacuation (including air ambulance), CHS operational planning, guidance, legal, finance, and personnel and administrative services. It is also dependent on the headquarters and headquarters troop of the support squad for food service, religious, and vehicle maintenance support.
2-13. Organizational Structure and Tactical Capabilities of the Medical Troop-Armored Cavalry Regiment
a. The Medical Troop-ACR (TOE 08489L0) (Figure 2-12) is organized into a troop headquarters section; a treatment platoon that is further organized into a platoon headquarters, an area support element with an area support squad, two area support treatment squads; an FST, and a patient-holding squad. The platoon also employs two independent treatment squads that may be deployed in DS of maneuver squadrons’
medical platoons. The troop is also organized with a RMSO and an ambulance platoon. The ambulance platoon employs a platoon headquarters and six-wheeled ambulance squads (12 ambulances).
Figure 2-12. Medical troop-ACR (TOE 08489L0), support squadron armored cavalry regiment.
b. For communications (see Appendix I), the company employs AM and FM tactical radios, unit-level computers, a manual switchboard with wire telephones, and DNVTs. The company headquarters establishes an FM radio net and an internal wire net for C2. It also establishes an AM net capability for reach-back support.
2-14. Brigade Combat Team Overview
a. The BCT is a full spectrum, combat force. It has use in all operational environments against all projected future threats, but it is designed and optimized primarily for employment in small scale contingency operations in complex and urban terrain, confronting low-end and mid-range threats that may employ both conventional and asymmetric capabilities. The BCT deploys very rapidly, executes early entry, and conducts effective combat operations immediately on arrival to prevent, contain, stabilize, or resolve a conflict through shaping and decisive operations. The BCT participates in a major theater war, with augmentation, as a subordinate maneuver component within a division or corps and in a variety of possible roles. The BCT also participates with appropriate augmentation in stability operations and support operations as an interim entry force and/or as a guarantor to provide security for stability forces by means of its extensive combat capabilities.
b. The BCT is a divisional brigade that is strategically responsive, rapidly deployable, agile, versatile, lethal, survivable, and sustainable. It is designed to optimize its organizational effectiveness and seeks to balance the traditional domains of lethality, mobility and survivability with the domains required for responsiveness, deployability, sustainability and a reduced in-theater footprint. It is nontraditional with respect to design, the deployment process, and manner of employment. Its two core qualities are high mobility (strategical, operational, and tactical) and its ability to achieve decisive action through dismounted infantry assault.
c. Interim brigade combat teams are provided DS CSS by an organic support battalion with an imbedded medical company providing CHS.
2-15. Brigade Support Medical Company, Support Battalion, Interim Brigade Combat Team a. The BSMC (TOE 084108F0), BSB, BCT provides Echelon II CHS in support of those battalions with organic medical platoons. The company also provides both Echelons I and II medical treatment to those units deployed without organic medical assets that operating in the BCT’s AO. The BSMC provides C2 for its organic elements and may provide operational control (OPCON) of medical augmentation elements. The BSMC locates in the vicinity of the BSB headquarters and establishes a brigade clearing station/MTF in the BSA.
b. A complete discussion on the organization and functions of the BSMC is provided in Appendix F.
2-16. Area Support Medical Company, Area Support Medical Battalion (Corps and Echelons above Corps)
a. The ASMCs (TOE 08456A0) of the headquarters and headquarters detachment, ASMB (TOE 08457A0) are organized as depicted in Figure 2-13 and perform functions similar to those of divisional and other nondivisional medical companies.
b. The ASMCs are employed primarily in the corps rear and support areas of the EAC/COMMZ.
They are deployed to a geographical area to provide area CHS, or may be deployed to provide CHS for designated units. The ASMCs also establish clearing stations and provide Echelons I and II CHS in a wide area (normally, an area or sector of the size established and supported by a corps support group or corps support battalion). Medical treatment squads/teams of the ASMCs may be deployed to establish treatment stations and provide Echelon I support to concentrations of nondivisional units that do not have organic medical capabilities.
c. A complete discussion on the organization, mission and functions of the ASMC and the ASMB is provided in FM 4-02.24.
Figure 2-13. Area support medical company (TOE 08456A0), area support medical battalion (TOE 08457A0), medical brigade (corps/echelons above corps).