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Nation hospital use except for emergency care only, so as to assure the highest 
level of care and not lose track of U.S. personnel. Also, while the Air Force 
lacked initial 3rd and 4th echelons of care in theater, we pressed the Army, 
Navy, and British to get their large assemblages in theater soonest. Equipment 
and supplies started flowing immediately -- in all some 2663.1 short tons of Air 
Force medical equipment and supplies were strategically airlifted in during the 
operation. [2] This did not include the untold number of short tons flown from 
the Pirmasens U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center Europe (USAMMCE) for initial 
resupply and the 900+ short tons of prepositioned assets tactically airlifted 
within theater. [3] More about resupply later.

Air Transportable Hospitals

The Southwest Asia hospital concept of medical care in the desert is to provide 
care for our deployed Air Force wings, other U.S. forces, and Coalition Forces 
in soft-sided deployable hospitals. The hospitals are air conditioned and heated 
and can be phased in as 14-beds (Coronet Bandage I), 25-Beds (Coronet Bandage 
II), and 50-Beds (Coronet Bandage III). Complete with three ISO shelters and 
three ambulances, they weigh about 100 short tons and can be airlifted anywhere 
in the world in hours. The ATH has 2/3 echelon capability with general and 
orthopedic surgery, dental, bioenvironmental engineering, environmental health, 
and combat stress capabilities. Additionally, the ATH comes with

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