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JTF PROVEN FORCE
       
        In early Jan 91, USAFE medical planners developed the concept to
        support USAFE forces deployed to Turkey in Joint Task Force (JTF)
        PROVEN FORCE. The AF medical mission included hospitalization and
        Aeromedical evacuation for all forces throughout Turkey. outpatient
        care for units without organic medical capability, blood program
        support, and environmental health services. Most deployed forces were
        located at Incirlik AB TU and a Turkish air base at Batman. the
        forward operating location (FOL}.
       
             Functional command and control of AF medical forces was organized
        under the Air Force Forces (AFFOR) Surgeon who reported functionally
        to the JTF Surgeon. The Incirlik hospital commander was dual hatted
        as the AFFOR Surgeon and worked closely with the JTF's two other
        component surgeons.
       
        . Concurrent with deployment of JTF PROVEN FORCE to Turkey, most
        dependents departed Incirlik; this effectively terminated Incirlik's
        dependent medical care requirements until mid-May l991 Incirlik's
        hospital expansion from 20 to 60 beds was accommodated with
        augmentation by 14 personnel in selected specialties. The hospital
        provided outpatient services for personnel at Incirlik and served as
        the referral facility for all personnel in Turkey.  Flight Surgeons
        who deployed with flying squadrons provided primary outpatient and
        preventive medicine services to assigned operational personnel. The
        hospital maintained close professional relations with the 9 additional
        AF and Army physicians at Incirlik and the 3 Army and AF physicians at
        Batman.
       
       Immediate Aeromedical evacuation (A/E) capability was provided by
       qualified inplace medical staff at the Incirlik hospital until
       relieved by 65 activated Reserve A/E medics. Upon arrival in Turkey,
       Reserve A/E forces established a Tactical Aeromedical Evacuation
       System which included an A/E Control Element (AECE), medical in-flight
       treatment crews, a 25-bed Mobile Aeromedical Staging Facility (MASF),
       and Aeromedical Evacuation Liaison Teams (AELT).
       
       The AECE was able to simplify A/E management in Turkey by
       collocating with the Joint Rescue Coordination Center at the Incirlik
       base command post. Opportune airlift was the only airframe source for
       [SEE IMAGE FILE] A/E throughout JTF PROVEN FORCE.  Incirlik based
        helicopters and-C-130 alert birds, as well as FOL based helicopters
       were used for A/E missions. Five A/E crews (25 members) were staged
       at Incirlik and responded to several emergency missions. Round the
       clock alert, routine Aeromedical evacuations, and training missions
        fully occupied crew time.  Medical regulating, the process of
       selecting a destination hospital, was not applicable within Turkey
       because patients requiring anything beyond field medical care were
       transported to the Incirlik hospital.  Peacetime medical regulating
       procedures were used for patients requiring care beyond that which was
       available at the Incirlik hospital.
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