The 16th Medical Para-Commando Company

Organisation

The 16th Para-Commando Medical Company is organised into three platoons:

• a staff platoon with:
  • a staff section
  • a signals section
  • a supply section
  • a medical supply section
  • a maintenance section
• a medical platoon with:
  • a command section
  • 3 parachutable surgical teams
  • a parachutable medico-surgical team
  • a psychology section
  • a dentist section
• an evacuation platoon

Personnel

In peace time the specialised personnel (i.e. surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses ...) is working in the military hospital in Brussels in the operating room in order to conserve their technical skills. All personnel of the 16th Para-Commando Medical Company receive medical training and most of the soldiers perform duty in a civilian hospital ( emergency unit) in order to maintain their capabilities from a medical point of view.

Missions

The 16th Para-Commando Medical Company is a role 2 medical unit responsible for :

• medical support , treatment and evacuation, of the Para-Commando Brigade
• reinforcement of the role 1 medical support of certain brigade units
• providing medical support role 1 to those units who do not have a role 1 of the Para-Commando Brigade
• the medical supply within the Para-Commando Brigade
• the dental care of all personnel
• preparing the wounded in order to make the evacuation to a role 3 facility possible
• treatment of the personnel that can resume duty within 24 hours
• treatment of Battle Shock Casualties
• chemical, biological and/or nuclear decontamination of all patients and wounded before being treated in the role 2 facility or before being evacuated to a role 3 facility
• general hygiene (water, disinfecting, ...)
• organisation of the medical course « Aid man Para-Commando ». This course is open to all military personnel of the Para-Commando Brigade

History

The 16th Medical Company used to be the only active medical company of the corps troops of the 1st Belgian Corps. It was stationed in Lüdenscheid. At first the 16th Medical Company was responsible for the medical support of the reconnaissance battalions of the 1st Belgian Corps and thus was not part of a brigade. Later on the 16th Medical Company became the medical company of the Para-Commando Regiment. In 1991, when the regiment reached brigade level, the 16th Medical Company was integrated in the brigade and became the 16th Para-Commando Medical Company. It moves to Belgium and is now stationed in Heverlee, near Leuven.

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