Market68th Theater Medical Command
Company Profile

68th Theater Medical Command

The 68th Theater Medical Command was constituted on 18 October 1927 in the Regular Army as the 18th Medical Regiment. Redesignated as the 68th Medical Regiment and reorganized as the 68th Medical Group, the organization served in combat in Europe in World War II and in the Republic of Vietnam. During the Cold War, it was stationed at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland from 1954 until its deployment to Vietnam and was reactivated again in Germany, where it served from 1978 into the 1990s. On 21 September 2024, it was redesignated as the 68th Theater Medical Command and activated at Sembach, Germany.

Lineage
• Constituted on 18 October 1927 in the Regular Army as the 18th Medical Regiment. • Activated (less Company A) on 1 June 1941 at Camp Forrest, Tennessee. • Company A activated on 3 June 1941 • Re-designated on 3 June 1941 as the 68th Medical Regiment. • Regiment broken up 15 September 1943 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows: • Headquarters and Headquarters and Service Company as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 68th Medical Group. • Company A as the 449th Medical Collecting Company - hereafter separate lineage. • Company B as the 450th Medical Collecting Company - hereafter separate lineage. • Company C as the 451st Medical Collecting Company - hereafter separate lineage. • Company D as the 617th Medical Clearing Company - hereafter separate lineage. • Company E as the 452d Medical Collecting Company - hereafter separate lineage. • Company F as the 453d Medical Collecting Company - hereafter separate lineage. • Company G as the 454th Medical Collecting Company - hereafter separate lineage. • Company H as the 618th Medical Clearing Company - hereafter separate lineage. • Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 68th Medical Group Inactivated 27 June 1946, in Germany. • Headquarters Detachment redesignated Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 68th Medical Group, 17 June 1954. • Activated 27 July 1954 at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. • Inactivated 30 June 1972 at Fort Lewis, Washington. • Inactivated 15 December 1994 in Germany • Redesignated 21 September 2024 as 68th Theater Medical Command and activated in Germany ==Honors==
Honors
Campaign participation creditWorld War II • Counteroffensive • Counteroffensive, Phase II • Counteroffensive, Phase III • Tet Counteroffensive • Counteroffensive, Phase IV • Counteroffensive, Phase V • Counteroffensive, Phase VI • Tet 69/Counteroffensive • Summer-Fall 1969 • Winter-Spring 1970 • Sanctuary Counteroffensive • Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase VII • Consolidation I • Consolidation II • Vietnam Cease-fire DecorationsMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for: • VIETNAM 1966-1967 • VIETNAM 1967-1968 • VIETNAM 1968-1970 • VIETNAM 1970-1971 ==History==
History
The Organized Reserves The 18th Medical Regiment was constituted, or added to the roles of the Regular Army, on 18 October 1927. It was allotted to the Second Corps Area and assigned to the II Corps. It was organized as a Regular Army Inactive unit with members of the Organized Reserve Corps on 9 September 1930 with its headquarters in Rochester, New York. Reserve personnel were assigned from New York and New Jersey, and the unit's designated mobilization training station was the Syracuse Mobilization Camp. New York City elements of the regiment typically conducted their Inactive Training Period meetings at 641 Washington Street in New York City, and the regiment conducted summer training at Carlisle Barracks with the 1st Medical Regiment. On 1 June 1941 the regiment would be organized as an Active Army Regiment and redesignated as the 68th Medical Regiment on 3 June 1941. The regiment was assigned to the Second Army on 24 September 1941. The regiment participated in the Second Army/VII Corps maneuvers in Camp Robinson/Arkadelphia, Arkansas from 11–30 August 1941 and the Second Army-Third Army GHQ Maneuvers during the Louisiana Maneuvers from 15–28 September 1941. Relieved from Attachment: Operating in what was once the XXIII Corps area, the northern part of the American occupation zone south to a line running Rhine RiverDarmstadtThird United States Army boundary. and the last to depart in March 1973. The first nuclear mass casualty exercise of the year was conducted in May by the 36th Evacuation Hospital. This nuclear exercise climaxed a four-day field exercise involving all of the 36th Evacuation Hospital's personnel and doctors, nurses and enlisted mobilization designees from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. • 57th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) On 1 April 1966, the 17th Field Hospital became operational and was assigned to the 68th Medical Group. Also on 1 April, the 4th Medical Detachment (JA), 20th Preventive Medicine Unit (Service)(Field), and the 932d Medical Detachment (AI) were all reassigned to the Medical Brigade (Provisional), reducing the group's span of control. With the reactivation of the 68th Medical Group, in another move to improve combat readiness of U.S. forces in Europe, those field medical units which would fall under V Corps control were assigned to the 68th Medical Group, and those units which would fall under VII Corps) control would be assigned to the 30th Medical Group. In turn, the two medical groups would be assigned to the two corps, rather than to the 7th Medical Command, whereas in the past they would have been attached to the U.S. Army Medical Command, Europe. The 7th Medical Command would continue to provide command and control over all theater level assets, and would control all air ambulances in theater during peacetime operations. On another tour, he commanded the 498th Medical Company (Air Ambulance). Bloomquist had been killed in a complex terrorist attack on the Frankfurt Officers' Club on 11 May 1972 while he was assigned to the V Corps Surgeon's Office. ==Shoulder Sleeve Insignia==
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Description On a shield shaped embroidered item edged with a white border, in height by in width blazoned as follows: Sanguine, a stylized Staff of Aesculapius Argent (Silver Gray), a chief pointed nowy to chief enlarged pily of five Argent and Gris bearing five mullets arched Celeste. Symbolism The colors of the shield are those of the Army Medical Service, maroon and white. Silver denotes the tools and technology used within the medical field. The staff is the symbol of Aesculapius, the God of Medicine. The chief suggests a horizon emitting sunrays, a depiction of hope and a guiding light. The blue stars allude to authority and leadership within the Command, and it further ties back to the MRC-Europe and USAREUR-AF. Background The shoulder sleeve insignia was authorized for the 68th Theater Medical Command by DCS G-1 approval effective 7 November 2023. ==Distinctive unit insignia==
Distinctive unit insignia
Description A Silver color metal and enamel device in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Per bend Argent and Sanguine (Maroon), the staff of Aesculapius counterchanged. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Silver scroll inscribed "CONSERVE POWER" in Maroon letters. Symbolism The colors of the shield are those of the Army Medical Service, sanguine (the nearest heraldic equivalent to the Medical maroon) and white. The staff is the symbol of Aesculapius, the God of Medicine. Background The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 18th Medical Regiment on 20 May 1936. It was redesignated for the 68th Medical Regiment on 16 August 1941. The insignia was redesignated for the 68th Medical Group on 4 December 1967. The DUI was redesignated for the 68th Theater Medical Command 3 March 2023. . ==Commanders==
Commanders
18th Medical Regiment World War II Fort George G. Meade, Maryland and Vietnam Germany ==References==
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