US Army Forward Surgical Teams (FST) are small, mobile surgical units fielded since the 1990s. FSTs are utilized in a variety of ways, and can be attached to a Forward Support Medical Company (FSMC), Area Support Medical Company (ASMC), Brigade Medical Company also known as C-Med or in some cases stand alone (with appropriate support) to provide a surgical capability for those patients unable to survive MEDEVAC to a Role 2 or 3 (hospital) care. Surgeons perform hemorrhage control on combat casualties within the "Golden Hour" of injury. Casualties can then be packaged for medical evacuation to a higher level of care. The FST typically includes 20 staff members: 4 Surgeons, 3 RN

Registered nurse

A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...

's, 2 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)'s, 1 Administrative Officer, 1 Detachment Sergeant, 3 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN)'s, 3 Surgical Tech

Surgical technologist

A surgical technologist, also called "scrub tech," "surgical technician," or "operating room technician", is an allied health professional working as a part of the team delivering surgical care in some countries. They possess knowledge and skills in sterile and aseptic techniques...

s and 3 Medic

Medic

Medic is a general term for a person involved in medicine, especially emergency or first-response medicine, such as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or a military member trained in battlefield medicine. Also the term is used toward a Nurse in pre-hospital care and/or emergency...

s.

By doctrine, the team is capable of continuous operations with a divisional or non-divisional medical company for up to 72 hours with a planned caseload of 30 critical patients. The FST can sustain surgery for 24 total operating table hours and has the ability to separate into two teams that function independently. A functional operating room can be established within one hour of being on scene and break down to move to a new location within two hours of ceasing operations.

The Forward Surgical Team is organized into four functional areas:

• HEADQUARTERS - Communications and administrative functions.
• ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) – Triages and prepares multiple casualties for surgery or transport and has a total of 4 beds.
• OR (Operating Room)– Sets up and begins surgery within one hour, can be at full functioning capacity within two hours of establishing an area of operations. The OR has two separate OR tables that can be used at the same time allowing treatment for a greater number of casualties in a given time.
• RECOVERY ICU
  Intensive Care Unit
  thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
  
   – Eight beds for post-surgical care; two beds reserved for patients awaiting evacuation.

The unit's equipment and supplies are packed into six HMMWV

High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle

The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle , better known as the Humvee, is a military 4WD motor vehicle created by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles formerly served by smaller Jeeps such as the M151 MUTT, the M561 "Gama Goat", their M718A1 and M792 ambulance versions, the CUCV,...

s with trailers. The unit can be slingloaded onto cargo helicopters and moved by the headquarters unit. Also there currently are 5 Airborne capable FSTs in the Army today (4 stationed at Ft. Bragg NC and 1 in Germany).

All FSTs operate IAW FM 4-02-25 (March 2003) and ARTEP 8-518-10

FSTs are currently deployed in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

See also

• Field hospital
  Field hospital
  A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
  
  
• Combat Support Hospital
  Combat support hospital
  A Combat Support Hospital is a type of field hospital. The CSH is a United States military mobile hospital delivered to the Corps Support Area in standard military-owned Demountable Containers cargo containers and assembled by the staff into a tent hospital to treat wounded soldiers. A CSH also...
  
  
• Battalion Aid Stations
  Battalion Aid Stations
  The Battalion Aid Station is a medical section within a battalion's support company in the military of the United States, specifically, the Army and Marine Corps. As such, it is the forward-most medically-staffed treatment location. During peacetime, it is led by a Medical Operations Officer, a...
  
  
• Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
  Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
  The Mobile Army Surgical Hospital refers to a United States Army medical unit serving as a fully functional hospital in a combat area of operations. The units were first established in August 1945, and were deployed during the Korean War and later conflicts. The U.S...
  
  
• Portable Surgical Hospital
  Portable Surgical Hospital
  Portable Surgical Hospitals were a type of field hospital. The PSH were units of the United States Army Medical Corps designed to be man-portable by the team manning the hospital...