31st Combat Support Hospital

The mission of the 31st Combat Support Hospital is to, on order, deploys to provide level III Health Service Support in support of worldwide contingency operations, provide command and control, redeploy and conduct follow on operations.

The 31st Combat Support Hospital was first constituted in the Regular Army on 1 January 1938 as the 31st Surgical Hospital. On 31 May 1943, the unit was redesignated as the 31st Portable Surgical Hospital. The unit was activated on 7 June 1943 at Bushnell General Hospital, Brigham City, Utah. During World War II the unit provided medical support to the Northern Solomons and the Luzon Campaigns. It was during this time that the unit was awarded the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. The streamer was embroidered for the period 17 October 1944 to 4 July 1945.

On 5 November 1945, the unit was inactivated at Lingayen, Philippine Islands. The unit was redesigned as the 31st Mobile Surgical Hospital on 16 February 1951. It was reactivated once more on 1 September 1951 at Degerndorf, Federal Republic of Germany. On 1 April 1953, it was redesignated as the 31st Surgical Hospital. On 21 November 1973 it was redesignated as the 31st Combat Support Hospital.

During November 1975, the 31st Combat Support Hospital was assigned to the US Army Medical Material Center Europe, at Husterhoeh Kaserne, Pirmasens, Federal Republic of Germany. On 21 October 1978 the unit was reassigned to the VII Corps as an element of the 30th Medical Group. The 31st Combat Support Hospital moved to Nellingen Barracks on 29 October 1986. On 26 December 1990, the 31st Combat Support Hospital deployed to Saudi Arabia and provided medical care in support of VII Corps during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

On 14 June 1991, the 31st Combat Support Hospital was assigned to the V Corps, 68th Medical Group. The commander, 68th Medical Group, formed Task Force 3l, which consisted of the 31st Combat Support Hospital, 42nd Ambulance Company and the 651st Ambulance Company. The Commander, 31st Combat Support Hospital exercised command and control over Task Force 31. Task Force 31 was dissolved on 16 January 1992 when the mission of its units changed.

The 31st Combat Support Hospital relocated from Germany to Fort Bliss, Texas on 15 June 1992. It was redesigned as the 131st Field Medical Hospital (Caretaker Status) on 17 August 1992 and assigned to the 1st Medical Group, Fort Hood, Texas. The 131st Field Hospital structured under the caretaker concept. The concept enabled the Army Medical Department to provide cost effective peacetime health service support, yet maintain TOE medical readiness to support contingency operations.

On 18 October 1995 the Task Force 131 deployed 32 beds of the hospital for United Nations Mission in Haiti. During the deployment, the 131st Hospital received orders redesignating it as the 31st Combat Support Hospital as of 16 February 1996. The hospital returned to Fort Bliss, Texas on 16 March 1996. The mission of the 31st Combat Hospital at that time was to provide health service to a corps. This support included Level III combat hospitalization, resuscitation, initial wound surgery, post-operative treatment, and RTD of soldiers determined fit for duty. To accomplish the unit's mission the following mission essential tasks had to be accomplished: Direct and conduct strategic deployment/redeployment; plan hospitalization support and services operations; relocate hospital to a new operating site; establish hospital area of operations; perform hospitalization support and services operations; and defend the hospital.