Medical battalions eliminated and created on the same day

[unhappycamper]

Soldiers salute during a ceremony at Lombardo Field on Thursday to mark the deactivation of the 52nd Medical Evacuation Battalion and activation of the 168th Multifunctional Medical Battalion.


Medical battalions eliminated and created on the same day
By By Ashley Rowland, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, October 20, 2007,
, Saturday, October 20, 2007


YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea — Officials inactivated a medical battalion while activating a new one Thursday as part of a 3½-year transformation of U.S. Forces Korea’s medical forces.

The changes to the 18th Medical Command, made during a ceremony at Yongsan Garrison’s Lombardo Field, are part of a larger reorganization of the U.S. Army and the 8th U.S. Army.

“We’re making sure we have the right kind of units to survive on the modern battlefield,” said Col. Gregory Jolissaint, commander of 18th MEDCOM and the 121st Combat Support Hospital.

The changes included inactivating the 52nd Medical Battalion Headquarters, inactivating the 168th Medical Battalion (Area Support) and activating the 168th Multifunctional Medical Battalion.

Col. Jolissaint said transformations are affecting 500 soldiers in South Korea, about 100 of whom will have to move to new bases.

“We wanted to make sure we disrupt as few lives as possible — not only for our customers but for our soldiers,” he said.


Rest of article at: http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=49635