Historically speaking...
In ancient times, if a soldier lay wounded in the
field, there was no one to come to his aid.
The Army Medical Service Corps traces its beginning to the
American Revolution with the creation of the Ambulance Corps.
During the Civil War, the Union Army realized there was a need for
an integrated medical treatment and evacuation system. With
major developments in World War I, the Medical Service Corp
initiated the Sanitary Corps to serve in medical logistics.
The onset of World War II inflicted devastating casualties -
with a lack of medical professionals at home. Handicapped by lack
of funds to construct housing, classrooms and training centers, the
Army Medical Department indirectly aggravated the high loss of life
at the bombing of Pearl Harbor. To compensate for the lack of
readiness, the Army National Guard, Organized Reserves, and
affiliated medical units from civilian universities, moved quickly
to provide necessary training to technical personnel, nurses and
doctors.