Combat Health Support in Stability Operations and Support Operations (FM 8-42)

This field manual (FM), "Combat Health Support in Stability Operations and Support Operations," establishes the combat health support (CHS) doctrine and provides the principles for providing CHS in stability operations and support operations. It is designed for use by personnel involved in CHS planning for stability operations and support operations and command surgeons (at all levels of command) and their staffs. Although the Army's primary focus is to fight and win our nation's wars, it is often employed in stability and support operations. In stability and support operations, the Army executes missions in both peace and conflict: what combat does occur is limited to the minimum necessary to support the political objectives. The primary recipients of combat service support (CSS) in stability and support operations are likely to be civilians (US or foreign), rather than US combat forces as in war. THE CHS planner must be capable of adapting traditional methods of health care delivery, leveraging technology, and establishing new procedures to meet the challenges presented.