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7 Medical Battalion Group is the specialist Airborne Medical Unit of the South African Military Health Service. The Battalion's main task is to render medical support to the South African Special and Airborne Forces. Other specialties of the Battalion include Combat Search and Rescue, CBRNE detection, verification and decontamination, Diving and Aviation medicine and numerous other skills associated in supporting Special Forces. Little is publicly known of this elite medical unit primarily because of its association with the South African Special Forces. The unit's founder Commandant Wouter Basson led the research on the infamous Chemical and Biological Warfare program. Other tasks of the battalion include but are not limited to medical support to the South African Police Service Special Task Force and other elite units, the South African Air Force's Search and Rescue units and the Presidential Protection Unit. The unit is on a general six-hour standby and is ready to deploy nationally and internationally, most recently in advisory and support roles during natural disasters. The unit retains a limited Defensive Chemical Biological warfare (CBRNE) capability. ==History== In the early 1980s the South African Reconnaissance Commandos (now the South African Special Forces Brigade) identified the need for a special medical unit to support Special Forces on operations and the Detachment Medical Special Operations was formed. Under command of the Surgeon General, a group of 9 doctors with Commandant Wouter Basson at the head, founded what would later become 7 Medical Battalion Group at Special Forces Brigade Headquarters (Speskop) south of Pretoria in 1984. The Battalion officially received its Unit flag and Colours on 14 April 1987 when it was named 7 Medical Battalion Group and incorporated into the South African Medical Service (now the South African Military Health Service). The year 1987 is considered the unit's birth year although the exact date is unknown. The first group of doctors and medics completed the full Special Forces training cycle, or were already Special Forces operators. In its early days unit members were involved in clandestine operations working closely with Special Forces, the Parachute Battalions supporting UNITA and Project Coast. The need for specially trained medics and doctors to support the Airborne units (Parabats) and the Recces increased as the Angolan Bush War intensified. The unit eventually started its own training as required by the Reconnaissance and Airborne units. The training cycle produced an Operational Medic or Operational Doctor who was fully qualified and equipped to support and deploy with Airborne or Special Forces during operations. As the Unit expanded, the need for a bigger facility arose and the Battalion was moved to Lyttelton, Centurion where it currently shares the premises with the Institute For Aviation Medicine (IAM). The Battalion consists of a HQ wing, Training wing, Quick Reaction wing, Chemical Biological Warfare Defence wing and 4 Satellite Units at Special Forces Regiments as well as the Parachute Regiment. On 21 February 2014, the unit received Battle Honours to be displayed on the unit colours for the first time for its participation in the Battle of Bangui Central African Republic March 2013. It is unusual for a medical unit to receive Battle Honours.〔Battle honours of South Africa〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「7 Medical Battalion Group」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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