62nd Medical Brigade
The 62nd Medical Group was constituted on 19 December 1942 and activated on 25 January 1943 as the 62nd Medical Battalion, Motorized, at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. On 15 Septmeber 1943 the Battalion was broken up, and it's elements reorganized as HHD 62nd Medical Battalion; 578th Ambulance Company, Motor; 501st and 502nd Collecting Companies; and the 635th Clearing Company. During it's services in WWII, the 62nd Medical Battalion participated in four campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe and was inactivated on 13 November 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia. The Battalion was again activated on 1 October 1956 in Germany, and on 8 October 1957 was redesignated the 62nd Medical Group. Throughout the years since it's reactivation, the 62nd Medical Group has participated in numerous exercises and operations, including relief operations following Hurricane Andrew, Combat Operations in the Persian Gulf, and Humanitarian Operations in Somalia.
The 62nd Medical Brigade activated as the 62nd Medical Battalion (Motorized) in January 1943. Initially at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, the battalion was transferred to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, in January 1944. This facilitated the movement to England in February of that year. The battalion deployed to France in June 1944, and then served in Belgium, Holland and finally Germany. The battalion served in Germany from December 1944 until September 1945. The colors were reactivated on 1 October 1956 in Germany as the 62nd Medical Group. The Group served there until June 968 when it was transferred to its present location at Fort Lewis, Washington.
For over 20 years, the 62nd Medical Group participated in training events with a keen focus on wartime readiness and mission accomplishment. The quality of it's training was tested during Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Operation Restore Hope. Over a period of three months in lat 1990, most of the 62nd Medical Group deployed on a tour of Southwest Asia. Units within the Group were responsible for the retirement of a medical unit self-contained transportable (MUST) hospital and implementing a deployable medical system (DEPMEDS) issued in theater. Concurrently, they provided quality health care; implemented and managed large-scale food service sanitation, industrial hygiene, and water quality surveillance programs, and established the premier model chemical decontamination site in the theater.
In December 1993, 62nd Medical Group deployed in support of Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. The Group provided Corps level medical service and support, to include being single item manager for Class VIII for all U.S. Forces in the theater of operations from D+40 to D+135. The Group also provided for Echelon III medical support and MEDEVAC for the combined forces in the theater. Areas of operation included Mogadishu, Baledogal, Kismayo, Bardera, and Belet Uen. Redeployment operations began on 11 April 1993 and were completed on 28 April 1993.
After redeployment from Southwest Asia and Somalia, elements of the 62nd Medical Group have excelled in several training events including JRTC, NTC, Cobra Gold and Cascade Sage. Individual units from the group have provided real world support in Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Surinam, Cuba, Honduras, Paraguay, Columbia, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Thailand, Somalia and after Hurricane Andrew in Florida, Hurricane Mitch in Nicaragua, flooding and forest fires in Washington.
On 16 October 2001, the 62nd Medical Group was re-designated to the 62nd Medical Brigade at Fort Lewis, Washington. The unit received the new designated Brigade Patch. A new mission of providing medical care echelons above Corps level. During this time units in the brigade deployed to designated locations to support Operation Enduring Freedom.
