Unit Roles and Tasks

1. 1HSB Operational Role: 1HSB is to provide 3rd line combat health support to land-based Force Elements (FE) during joint, combined or inter-agency operations.

2. National Support Area Role: The provision of 4th line health support to Liverpool Military Area (LMA) units & the wider NSW region is a Joint Health Command responsibility. 1HSB leverages the garrison hospital in preparing Army Health personnel for deployed roles. 1HSB also contributes to governing the output of the garrison hospital.

3. Mission Essential Tasks for 1HSB: This mission essential task list must be implemented in order for 1HSB to fulfil its role. These tasks can be undertaken in a joint, combined or inter-agency environment either as part of 17 CSS BDE or independently:

a. To provide general, level 3 combat health support.

b. To provide close, level 2 combat health support, typically within a Force Maintenance Area (FMA).

c. To provide integral, level 1 combat health support to those local units without integral health support.

4. In addition, 1HSB has the following additional tasks:

a. Be Prepared To (BPT) provide other 3rd line CSS through C2 of attached FE from within 17 CSS BDE.

b. BPT provide spt to Non-combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO), humanitarian and disaster-relief operations.

c. BPT contribute to 4th line health support to the LMA and wider NSW region.

SUBUNITS:

1HSB is a construct of a number of health capability elements that can be used to tailor combat health support to meet the requirements of the operational plan. 1HSB may deploy as a whole unit or sub-units that are task-organised to support nominated dependencies. Potential sub-units are:

1. Rapidly Deployable Surgical Team (RDST). The RDST is a highly mobile, lightly scaled, mission tailored capability modelled on previous Parachute Surgical Team concepts. The RDST is to be able to insert by air, land or sea in support of all ADF contingencies.

a. Role: To provide close or general level three surgical support to a dependency.
b. Tasks: performing triage and resuscitation; performing resuscitative/DCS and pre- and post-operative care; providing treatment and nursing care to medical and surgical patients; holding casualties for up to the holding period determined by the operational health plan; and preparing patients for evacuation.

2. Surgical Platoon (SurgPl)

a. Role: To provide close or general level three surgical support to a dependency.

b. Tasks: performing triage and resuscitation; performing resuscitative/DCS and pre- and post-operative care; providing treatment and nursing care to medical and surgical patients; holding casualties for up to the holding period determined by the operational health plan; and preparing patients for evacuation.

3. Health Support Company (HSC)

a. Role: To provide close or general level three health support to a dependency.

b. Tasks: Surgical support, including performing triage and resuscitation; performing resuscitative/IWS and pre- and post-operative care; providing treatment and nursing care to medical and surgical patients; holding casualties for the holding period determined by the operational health plan; and preparing patients for evacuation; Operational environmental health support; Psychology support; Dental support; Primary health care support; Diagnostic support; Rehabilitation support.