text: Army Health System Operations
  4-30. Army Health System support to defense support of civil authorities tasks will include both AHS
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  operational and the institutional AHS forces. The U.S. Army Medical Command retains command and
  control and provides both medical forces and medical capabilities in support of defense support of civil
  authorities tasks. As the Military Health System integrated combat support agency, the Defense Health
  Agency (DHA) enables the Services in providing this support.
  SECTION III — SETTING THE THEATER, THEATER OPENING, EARLY
  ENTRY, AND EXPEDITIONARY MEDICAL OPERATIONS
  4-31. As the theater medical command, the MEDCOM (DS) maintains a regional focus that encompasses
  the GCC’s entire AOR and is critical for the successful provision of AHS support to set the theater. The
  medical commander’s ability to assess host-nation medical capability/capacity and the presence of health
  threats prevalent in the AOR, facilitates the planning and execution of regional strategies for establishment
  of the theater joint trauma system and mitigation of identified threats.
  4-32. The MEDCOM (DS) provides the GCC an effective tool to assist in maximizing the use of scarce
  medical resources, shaping the security environment by building partner medical capacity, and alleviating
  health conditions that not only impact U.S. military forces, but multinational partners and particular
  challenges faced by the host nation. Efforts must also be made to understand the roles and responsibilities
  of all agencies involved (to include the Department of State, World Health Organization, partner nations, and
  others) for integration and synchronization of all medical capabilities in the region.
  4-33. The MEDCOM (DS) also provides AHS support to set the theater through coordination, integration,
  and synchronization of strategic medical capabilities from the U.S. sustaining base, global health
  engagements, establishment and maintenance of medical support agreements, deploying medical technical
  expertise for consultation services and other support, military medical training exercises, as well as the
  following:
  * Executing AHS support to other Services when directed.
  * Ensuring adherence to eligibility criteria for treatment in U.S. military MTFs.
  * Recommending theater evacuation policy adjustments.
  * Providing theater food protection support.
  * Coordinating with USTRANSCOM for patient movement plans.
  * Coordinating with the theater signal command to support command and control and medical
  information system capabilities.
  * Establishing medical logistics capabilities necessary to support health services during early entry
  operations and ensure theater MEDLOG operations are connected to strategic enablers.
  * Ensuring integration and interoperability of theater medical capabilities.
  * Providing AHS support to foreign humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
  * Conducting medical preparation of the OE.
  * Maximizing use of host-nation medical capabilities.
  * Establishing and executing OEH surveillance programs and countermeasures.
  * Coordinating with the National Center for Medical Intelligence, Centers for Disease Control and
  Prevention, and other strategic partners for identification and mitigation of regional health threats.
  * Planning and coordination for AHS support to—
   Noncombatant evacuation operations.
   Detainee operations.
   Reception, staging, onward movement and integration and theater opening.
   Large-scale casualty events and prolonged care.
   Other Services.
  4-34. Theater opening, early entry, and expeditionary medical operations require the AHS planner to
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  develop flexible, agile, and comprehensive plans to provide effective and efficient AHS support in an austere
  environment. Many of the AHS forces deployed will be the organic medical assets of the maneuver forces