unclassified - Air Force Financial Management & Comptroller

BUDGET ITEM JUSTIFICATION (EXHIBIT P-40)
UNCLASSIFIED
DATE:
FEBRUARY 2002
APPROP CODE/BA:
OPAF/OTHER BASE MAINTENANCE & SUPPORT EQUIPMENT
P-1 NOMENCLATURE:
MEDICAL/DENTAL EQUIPMENT
FY2001 FY2002 FY2003 FY2004 FY2005 FY2006 FY2007
QUANTITY
COST
(in Thousands)
$16,268 $15,374 $13,992 $14,313 $14,594 $15,181 $15,485
Description:
1. Medical/Dental War Reserve Material (WRM) Equipment supports Air Force medical readiness and contingency requirements. Medical
WRM allows the Air Force to rapidly deploy medical capability to forward operating locations. Adequate deployable medical capability is
required for force protection. During the Cold War, the Air Force maintained large hospitals throughout Europe, ready to receive casualties
during a conflict with Warsaw Pact countries. Current doctrine and diminished forward basing requires the Air Force to maintain medical
readiness assets in CONUS which can be rapidly transported via cargo aircraft to any location in the world, and upon arrival, quickly set up and
be prepared to treat casualties. In many cases, typical hospital equipment cannot be used because it is too fragile, too heavy, or incompatible
with operating in a cold, humid or contaminated environment. The major function of medical WRM equipment is to provide preventive
medical capabilities, to keep wounded in action (WIA) personnel alive until definitive care can be provided, and return less critically injured
personnel to their units as quickly as possible.
2. The following WRM equipment items/projects are funded by this program:
a. Theater Medical Information Program (TMIP): TMIP incorporates all DOD medical information systems that have a theater application.
Wartime medical communication requirements differ radically from peacetime requirements. Commanders require real-time information on
WIA personnel and their treatment--type, numbers, location; reports detailing casualty location and medical status ranging from the front line to
rear echelons; logistical data--resource consumption information, supply inventories, logistical pipeline data, material delivery information,
what materiel can be diverted to satisfy a higher priority; and medical personnel--matching medical/surgical capability and availability/locations
with WIA requirements.
The current medical wartime communications infrastructure consists of readily available landlines and radio technology that dates from the
late 1950s. TMIP will provide inter/intra unit medical communications systems for ground and Air Force theater medical units through use
P-1 ITEM NO PAGE NO:
81
41
UNCLASSIFIED
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