 weapons coupled with the fighting skill of the American soldier stand ready on the alert all over the world to defend this country you the American people against aggression this is the big picture an official television report to the nation from the United States Army now to show you part of the big picture here is sergeant Stuart Queen today on the big picture we'd like to show you a branch of the medical service of the United States Army of which few people are aware an integral part of the great medical team that helps to keep our soldiers alive and healthy is the medical service corps the msc's to tell you more about the msc let me turn you over to the chief of the medical service corps Colonel Bernard Abo with the growing need of the civilian and military population for the services of physicians the medical service corps the army has accepted the challenge in order to reduce the workload of the army doctor in all fields allied to medicine officers of the medical service corps have stepped in this has resulted in more than doubling the core since the days just prior to the Korean conflict however I don't want to leave the impression that the medical service officer only works in hospitals and in laboratories a combat division in Korea utilize 38 medical service corps officers including the assistant battalion surgeon and the helicopter pilots who flew so many missions to evacuate the wounded from the battlefield as a matter of fact next to the infantry in artillery a division in Korea utilize more medical service officers at any other branch of the army combined the professional qualifications with the tactical application and we have a very valuable addition to the medical service offered by the army this paramedical help is needed by the medical corps physician to help him maintain the health of the army and care for the sick and wounded speaking for all the medical service corps officers we are grateful to be a part of this great army medical team because of their training as specialists officers of the army medical service such as physicians psychiatrist Dennis and nurses are primarily interested in medical care therefore their valuable time should not be taken up with the routine administrative work which can be ably handled by personnel trained to perform those duties by members of the msc the medical service corps it's one of the responsibilities of the msc to help train these medical service corps specialist to provide the army medical service with more than 100 military occupational specialties in various fields allied to and supporting the professional specialist this training is performed at the brook army medical center at fort sam houston texas there the newly commissioned medical service corps officer reports to the medical field service school where he will spend 12 weeks gaining a working knowledge of his future duties and responsibilities after initial assignment to a class the men are formed into smaller sections then the students go through the usual personnel processing interviews also handled by msc personnel administrators the many courses of study at the school are controlled by an efficient program board then comes an overall big picture of their future training given by colonel hubert l binkley director of the department of military science at the school gentlemen during this period i'm going to present you an overall picture of the operation of the army medical service in the theater of war during active operations i'm going to do this by taking some patients at the front lines and carrying them back through the chain of evacuation to their large hospitals here in the united states i'm going to show you what happens on the battlefield as they fall what the company eight man does for these patients how they're transported back to the battalion aid station where they're seen by the battalion surgeon how they're taken to the regimental collecting station and the division clearing station and the treatment they receive there i'll also show you how they're transported back to the large general hospitals of the communication zone and then to the large united states army hospitals here in the zone of the interior now classroom work really begins with such subjects as transportation of the sick and wounded patient sympathetic care of casualties is stressed as a major necessity they will receive a thorough indoctrination and medical terminology in the classes on anatomy and physiology the proper use of the proper words they are taught can avoid mistakes and in the field medical kit class they'll learn about the handling of the surgeons medical instruments and the individual use each is put to practical experience in bandaging and splitting in the application of arm splints and in the army leg splint is provided here for example they learn that splitting of all fracture should be done on the spot in the field medicine and surgery classes they are taught how to process a casualties emergency tag by filling out the tag msc officers give the physician an accurate picture of the patients identification and previous treatment aspects of preventive medicine are stressed in the class on food poisoning while studying immunology demonstrates to the new medical service core officer the proper methods of giving hyperdermic injections so that the needle won't appear to be this big prevention of disease under field conditions demand special efforts in teaching personal hygiene and purification of water they learn that only purified water is safe water to drink that untreated water can carry disease and distress it's a full course of study but there is time for play as well msc officers can participate in any of their favorite sports in baseball and in swimming too in fact the entire gamut of a complete sports program and those with particular interest in sports may later be assigned as special service officers in medical units an msc officer must not only be familiar with medical subjects he must have a general military background as well thus the student officer is given such courses as the principles of offense where he gets a grounding in tactics as they apply to the operation of a medical unit a course in the main provisions of the Geneva convention emphasizes the special considerations given to medical personnel if they become prisoners of war such matters as the care of the wounded and sick pw's and their medical treatment are also covered the effects of atomic weapons on personnel and their relationship to medical treatment and handling are stressed in special classes officers also become familiar by actual practice in the use of the pistol and carbine the field medical service courses give practical demonstrations in such subjects as the operation of an ambulance train the students tour the train which contains all the equipment required in care of the wounded together with a diet kitchen and comfortable hospital beds the students are shown demonstrations of techniques in helicopter evacuation they are taught that the proper method of loading casualties is a vital link in the chain of evacuation one that must be learned thoroughly the 82nd helicopter ambulance detachment a unit of brook army medical center demonstrates ground assistance requirements for the choppers methods of selection and marking of landing sites among other things are taught on the spot evacuation by helicopter is aided by such techniques some students become so interested in choppers that they want to become helicopter pilots all helicopter pilots attached to a medical unit must be msc officers after graduation from basic schooling at brook army medical center a medical field service school officer can volunteer to become a helicopter pilot later he becomes a full fledged flying member of the medical service team when he is assigned to one of the 12 helicopter units in current operation in the army but there are other airborne msc officer burst open to those who like to get their feet off the ground occasionally they can train to become paratroopers in the medical service of an airborne division the paramedics they attend jump school at fort benning georgia they'll be supervising the loading of a 6,000 pound complete six bed station to be parachuted down with the men after the course they'll be assigned to the medical battalion of an airborne division they'll be able to jump when necessary loaded down with such gear as medical pouches and other medical supplies and they'll assist the battalion surgeon in reorganizing his medical troops and in setting up a battalion aid station the basic msc course is also given to scientists previously trained in the allied sciences laboratories some work for example at the fourth army area medical laboratory at brook in medical diagnosis and experimental research here's an msc officer working in a chemistry lab spraying chromatographs a system of diagnosis by color separation and analysis they make constant tests in serological laboratories evaluating the effect of immunizing serums and disease they also work as parasitologists examining various disease bearing organisms still others experiment with radioactive isotopes as etymologists aiding in the cure of many diseases to which our soldiers are exposed a very important phase of msc responsibility is born by the men in the pharmaceutical division of the allied sciences medical service corps officers are in charge of the army's pharmacies and supervise the manufacture and distribution of medicines and drugs other allied sciences men work in optometry where msc officers make the necessary tests and prescribe corrective glasses at army hospitals all over the world medical service corps officers assist in training all future enlisted medical personnel at the medical training center at brook instruction is given first in the classroom to train the enlisted man as combat aid men and hospital technicians they learn such fundamental medical techniques as the taking of blood pressure the men are taught more about emergency medical care these techniques are especially stressed because it is one of their prime responsibilities when they are later assigned to medical units they learn how to give artificial respiration using the most advanced methods including the back pressure arm lift system now in use in all the arm services the proper bandaging of wounds is also emphasized the men are taught the correct application of pressure dressings to a shoulder wound since stop the bleeding is one of the main objectives in first aid because the evacuation of the wounded by litter is a primary responsibility of the litter bearers careful instruction by msc officers is given at the medical training center in the correct techniques of carrying a loaded litter over difficult terrain the men learn to carry litters into culverts a patient's future course of treatment can often depend on the care given him early in his evacuation carrying a heavy litter through these deep ditches could tax the ability of even the most highly trained a sense of balance is a virtual necessity in carrying a litter through the maze of a zigzag obstacle the idea is to transport the wounded without disturbing them unnecessarily or without adding to their injuries as always msc officers direct the men from this training the enlisted men go to another type of evacuation this time by boat ingeniously and sturdily constructed from litters and canvas the use of expedient material is constantly being taught by the msc officers in charge the msc also plays an important role in preventive medicine the enlisted men are taught to make ticked drags for collecting insects in areas suspected of harboring disease the insects are carefully preserved in bottles so that they can be later examined in the laboratory if they are found to be disease-carrying another team goes out to spray the suspected area with oil or with powder the contaminated clothing and bodies of the soldiers in the area are also dusted when necessary training of the new msc officers continues at brook when they are introduced to an exercise in another phase of their training this comes during the fourth week at nearby camp bullis and is a demonstration by the enlisted men of the medical support of an infantry battalion in the attack seated safely in their bleachers overlooking the attack zone the student msc officers get their first taste of combat as the simulated battle sounds smoke and shell burst fill the air realism is added when small explosive charges are detonated near the bleachers they see an aid man rush in to give first aid to a simulated casualty and prepare him for evacuation the battalion aid station located behind the front lines their further treatment can be given by the battalion surgeon here is another example illustrating how the work of the physician in the field is supplemented by the msc the exercise continues as the attack mounts and the infantry takes the hill the flag is planted on the summit a signal that the exercises are over their problem completed the students now realize the vital part that msc officers play in the team concept of the medical service of the united states army field training for them however continues at camp bullis with their own participation this time in operation buckhorn a problem designed to give them actual field experience in conducting the chain of medical evacuation casualties are brought in to the battalion aid station operated by the student officers it's a responsibility of the msc to supervise the setting up of field evacuation hospitals exercises and practice acquaint them with the methods of transporting and unloading the hospital tense and equipment quickly and efficiently for a field evacuation hospital is like a circus in that it must be loaded or unloaded at a moment's notice then it must be erected as close to the battle line as possible the area's outline is laid out first on the ground with cloth tapes then after all the stakes have been driven in the tenant self is pulled up on the poles the lines are staked down and the newly erected hospital is ready for any and all medical emergencies cooperation between the msc officers and the surgeon is a continuing process classroom training in the use of radio communications is put to the test the problem is to radio in the number of casualties to be moved by helicopter or by liturgy to the regimental collecting station the next link in the evacuation chain again the training of the litter men by the msc officers pays off handsomely in the field exercise speed is urgent so the wounded man is flown to the rear by means of helicopter ambulance because of their training helicopter pilots are able to perform emergency medical tasks such as adjusting the flow of blood plasma when immediate surgery is necessary patients are evacuated to a mobile army hospital behind the collecting station these techniques were successfully developed in casually evacuations during the Korean conflict and saved many lives the less seriously wounded are carried by field ambulance to the division clearing station with msc student officers assuming all the responsibilities as operation buckhorn continues and again they learn not only to give aid to the wounded but to assist the combat surgeon as well by assuming all administrative work msc officers also assist in preparing the surgeon's operating kit so that it may be put to immediate and effective use the right instrument in the right place at the right time is the rule operation buckhorn is the wind up of the training program yet all this intense training is more than a lot of hard work for its gratifying as well after buckhorn comes graduation from the medical field service school msc officers realize that their work in the united states army is valuable and necessary they also know that as msc officers their work can be rewarding their work can be rewarding in honors as well during impressive retreat ceremonies at brook army medical center on the parade grounds major general william e shambora commanding general of the brook army medical center presents an award to a medical service corps officer for a job well done this is not the whole story of the msc it is enough though to show how the medical service corps is constantly being trained to conserve the fighting strength and to aid in keeping the american soldier the healthiest soldier in the world you have just heard and seen a graphic presentation of the manner in which the medical service corps of the united states army works as a part of the vast medical team in keeping the american soldier healthy and alive this is sergeant steward queen inviting you to be with us again next week for another look at your army in action on the big picture the big picture is a weekly television report to the nation on the activities of the army at home and overseas produced by the signal corps pictorial center presented by the united states army in cooperation with this station you too can be an important part of the big picture you can proudly serve with the best equipped the best trained the best fighting team in the world today the united states army