Medical Branch / Medische component / Composante Médicale (MC)

The Medical Branch is a separate organization of the armed forces and is responsible for all aspects of medical support. It is organized for field operation and to expedite casualty evacuation from areas of combat operation. The Medical Branch supports all units of the armed forces that are based in Belgium, including the gendarmerie. The primary mission of the medical component is to provide the armed forces with medical care, in emergency or crisis situations provide assistance to the civilian medical facilities and population.

During the later stages of the Cold War the Medical Branch consisted of two major commands, one serving with the 1st Belgian Corps in West Germany, the second on Belgian territory. The latter command would be subdivided during war into two commands, one responsible for medical support for the combat area and the other to assist with medical problems in Belgium. In turn, these commands are subdivided into specific units, such as field hospital evacuation units, mobile surgical units, and ambulance companies. The strength of the Medical Branch in 1984 was approximately 6,000 but would increase to about 24,000 in war.

The planned establishment of the Belgian medical element is 1150 personnel in 2015. The medical component comprises the command (COMOOPSMED), four Medical operations Centres (CMO) and four Elements for Medical Intervention (EMI) located in various provinces of Belgium. In requested, the medical component should detach:

• First aid medical units,
• Medical units deployable off Belgian territory disposing modern equipment, able of fast transport and evacuation of casualties from the area of deployment.