84 Medical Supply Squadron RLC

Last updated
84 Medical Supply Squadron RLC
Flag of the British Army.svg
Active1984-present
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeSquadron
RoleMedical Supply
Part of Royal Logistic Corps
Garrison/HQ Buckley Barracks
Website 9 Regt RLC

84 Medical Supply Squadron is a squadron of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps. It is currently attached to 9 Regiment RLC and provides medical supply to the British Armed Forces when deployed on operations around the world. [1]

Contents

To this day 84 Medical Supply Squadron is still one of the most operationally deployed squadrons in the British Army and is the only one providing medical supply year-round to all three services in theatre.

History

84th (2nd London) Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps

[2]

84 Field Medical Equipment Depot

A new department was created under the name of 84 Field Medical Equipment Depot (84 FMED) in 1984 due to difficulties encountered during the Falklands War by the Defence Medical Equipment Depot (DMED). The new depot came under the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) control and was located on shelves in the “Green Zone” behind “Mobs & Kits” at DMED in Ludgershall. There the stores and equipment were periodically turned over by RAMC Medical Storeman (later called Medical Supply Techs/MSTs) who worked at DMED as 84 FMED's manning was names on paper only.

Deployments

Even though this new depot had been created it was very rarely deployed, the only one of note was the deployment on Operation Granby, Kuwait in 1991. The depot would rarely see service until 1999 with the conflict in Kosovo and subsequent peace keeping Operations. This brought about another change. The equipment that was held for 84 FMED was by now obsolete or incompatible with more modern equipment held by the units it would be supplying. A complete review of its holding was made and items and quantities held were changed. This was not the same as 84 FMED so a name change was issued; it was now to be referred to as 84 Medical Supply Squadron (84 MSS). [3]

84 Medical Supply Squadron

84 MSS was still an RAMC asset but the Medical Supply Tech Trade had been disbanded and replaced by an Additional Qualification Course for Combat Medical Technicians (CMT) (although many MSTs transferred to CMT and remained in their previous jobs and roles) so 84 now found itself staffed by Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians and CMTs with Laboratory Technicians for Blood Products.

The new 84 MSS fully ran the depot in Kosovo for about a year before handing control over to the resident Med Group of each tour. Things returned to relative quiet again with only small participation in operations and exercises like Saif Sareea 2, Oman in 2001.

Deployments

The squadron then returned to the deserts of Kuwait for Operation Telic in 2003. The squadron firstly set up at Camp Fox, Kuwait in January 2003 then moved to Umm Qasr Port in May 2003 for around one month before moving on to Az Zabaya in June 2003. Two months later the squadron moved to Shaibah Logistical Base (SLB) where it stayed for the next three years before moving into the old Basra International Airport now known as the Contingency Operating Base (COB) around December 2006. [4]

During the squadron's time in Iraq three important things happened to affect how it functioned, the first being the closure of MSA and the squadron being relocated to Buckley Barracks at Stanton St Quintin, Chippenham on 31 March 2005.

84 Medical Supply Squadron RLC

The second (possibly the biggest change in its history) was for 84 MSS to be disbanded as an RAMC unit and be taken under Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) command.

Not all RAMC personnel have left the squadron there are still two captains (one being a pharmacist the other a medical support officer), two warrant officers (one being a pharmacy technician the other a biomedical scientist) and one sergeant (pharmacy technician).

Deployments

The third being the deployment on Operation Herrick 4, Afghanistan in 2006 which pushed the squadron into being the only squadron in the British Armed Forces to be simultaneously and permanently deployed to two theatres of operations. Since then the squadron has been deployed personnel in almost every theatre of operations including Operation Gritrock, the ebola crisis response in Sierra Leone in 2015. [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Logistic Corps</span> Logistic arm of the British Army

The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Army Service Corps</span> Former corps of the British Army (1888–1965)

The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and domestic materials such as clothing, furniture and stationery and the supply of technical and military equipment. In 1965 its functions were divided between other Corps and the RASC ceased to exist; subsequently, in 1993, they in their turn became the "Forming Corps" of the Royal Logistic Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Army Ordnance Corps</span> Former corps of the British Army (1918 – 1993)

The Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) was a corps of the British Army. At its renaming as a Royal Corps in 1918 it was both a supply and repair corps. In the supply area it had responsibility for weapons, armoured vehicles and other military equipment, ammunition and clothing and certain minor functions such as laundry, mobile baths and photography. The RAOC was also responsible for a major element of the repair of Army equipment. In 1942 the latter function was transferred to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and the vehicle storage and spares responsibilities of the Royal Army Service Corps were in turn passed over to the RAOC. The RAOC retained repair responsibilities for ammunition, clothing and certain ranges of general stores. In 1964 the McLeod Reorganisation of Army Logistics resulted in the RAOC absorbing petroleum, rations and accommodation stores functions from the Royal Army Service Corps as well as the Army Fire Service, barrack services, sponsorship of NAAFI (EFI) and the management of staff clerks from the same Corps. On 5 April 1993, the RAOC was one of the corps that amalgamated to form The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammunition technical officer</span>

An ammunition technical officer (ATO) is an officer involved in all aspects of the army, air force, and navy's use of ammunition. This includes: bomb disposal, clearance of ERW, explosives accident investigation, procurement, in service management, storage, and inspection and repair.

The role of the Commando Logistic Regiment (CLR), Royal Marines is to provide second line Combat Service Support to 3 Commando Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16</span> Military unit

Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16 (MALS-16) is an aviation logistics support unit of the United States Marine Corps. Known as the Immortals, they are currently based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 29</span> Military unit

Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 29 (MALS-29) is an aviation logistics support unit of the United States Marine Corps. Known as the "Wolverines", they fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 29 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and are currently based at Marine Corps Air Station New River. MALS 29 supports multiple types of aircraft and provides detachments to aviation combat elements operating globally in support the United States National Defense Strategy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckley Barracks</span>

Buckley Barracks is a British Army barracks in Wiltshire, England, about 4+12 miles (7 km) north of Chippenham and 15 miles (24 km) west of Swindon. It is set to close in 2029.

This is the Operation Herrick ground order of battle, which lists any British ground forces that have taken part in the duration of Operation Herrick between 2002 and 2014.

156 Regiment RLC is an Army Reserve Regiment of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">15 Air Assault Support Squadron RLC</span> Military unit

15 Air Assault Support Squadron is a British Army logistic squadron, currently under 13 Air Assault Support Regiment RLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">101st Operational Sustainment Brigade</span> Military unit

101st Operational Sustainment Brigade is a logistic brigade within 3rd Division of the British Army, formed from the Combat Service Support Group in 1999. The brigade is held in high readiness and is described as a "vanguard support brigade".

6 Regiment Army Air Corps is the sole Army Reserve regiment of the British Army Air Corps (AAC) falling under the Combat Arm of the British Army. The regiment consists of five Squadrons based around the south of the UK. 6 Regiment provides soldiers trained to assist Joint Helicopter Command on exercise and operations both in the UK and worldwide. The regiment provides support to support and attack helicopter in roles including Aviation Ground crew specialists, Aviation Communication Operators and Aviation Support Officers. The AAC regiment is supported by other Army Reserve elements including Royal Logistic Corps as chefs, Logistics and Supply, Adjutant General Corps as human resource specialists and Royal Army Medical Corps in the form of Combat Medical Technicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Gloucester Barracks</span> British Army barracks at South Cerney in Gloucestershire, England

The Duke of Gloucester Barracks is a British Army barracks at South Cerney in Gloucestershire.

6 Regiment RLC is a regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps of the British Army.

7 Regiment RLC is a regiment of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps.

9 Regiment RLC is a regiment of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">17 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC</span> Military unit

17 Port and Maritime Regiment is a regiment of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps. The unit is the Army's only regular Port & Maritime capability, though it is twinned with 165 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC, of the Army Reserve.

Operation Gabriel was the codename for the British military contribution in Rwanda as part of the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda UNAMIR during the Rwandan genocide. British soldiers were deployed to Rwanda as part of a wider peacekeeping force that aimed to control the effects of the ongoing conflict and resulting genocide. British troops arrived in the country in August after just five days preparation, starting with a 60-strong advance group that aimed to repair infrastructure damaged by the conflict in the region, and to prepare for a mass evacuation of British civilians from the region. Six hundred troops followed the initial advance party shortly after, and contained elements from both Army and RAF logistics, support and infantry personnel. British troops were withdrawn in November 1994.

3 Regiment RLC was a regiment of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps. It was disbanded as part of the Future Soldier reforms.

References

  1. "Squadrons allocated to active regiments of the Royal Logistics Corps under Army 2020" (PDF). Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  2. "84th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps". wartimememoriesproject.com. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  3. "Kosovo: army medical supply services in an operational area". The Pharmaceutical Journal. 265 (7110): 268–269. 19 August 2000. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  4. "Iraq Enquiry: Request for Evidence" (PDF). iraqinquiry.org. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  5. Akbareian, Rowena (4 December 2015). "84 Medical Supply Squadron wins the ESCEA for extreme logistics". Royal Logistics Corps. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  6. Townshend, Lisa (1 February 2016). "When the going gets tough..." Logistics Manager. Retrieved 3 December 2016.