Air Ambulance Platoon, 15th Medical Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). The Brigade's air ambulances were organized into two companies. One TOE Medical Company (Air Ambulance), the 498th had 25 aircraft organized into four flight platoons. The second air ambulance company was organized under the 436th Medical Detachment (AC) as company headquarters with four medical detachments (RA) operating under it, variously referred to as the 436th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) or the Air Ambulance Company (Provisional). The 498th had responsibility for air ambulance support of II Corps Tactical Zone and the 436th had responsibility for supporting III and IV Corps Tactical Zones. In September 1966 air ambulance units received their first in-country shipment of helicopter hoists. These hoists were used to extract patients from inaccessible areas where helicopters could not land, such as deep woods or jungle, mountainsides, water, or small boats. Medical Regulating The mission of regulating patients from forward areas to hospitals capable of providing definitive care (Forward Aeromedical Evacuation System) became a responsibility of medical groups for the first time after the Brigade became operational. This resulted in the 44th Medical Brigade Medical Regulating Officer (MRO) becoming responsible for overall in-country evacuation. The unusual aspect of this situation was that the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) represented the entire forward area. Medical groups controlled the movement of patients (intra-area) from tactical areas to hospitals in their group. Further movement of patients from one group area to another was coordinated by medical group MROs with the brigade MRO, who maintained overall control in order to ensure proper utilization of all medical facilities. Throughout these transfers, patients never leave the forward area, while in previous conflicts they would move from the forward area to the rear area of the field army. The Tactical Aeromedical Evacuation System began with the transfer of patients from the combat zone (the RVN) to the United States Pacific Command (PACOM) and the Strategic Aeromedical Evacuation System began with the movement of patients from PACOM hospital facilities to those in the Continental United States (CONUS). The latter two phases were directly controlled by the Air Force, which was responsible for aeromedical evacuation. A Far East Joint Medical Regulating Office (FEJMRO) a tri-service organization, maintained the responsibility for designating hospitals in PACOM and CONUS where patients could receive adequate treatment. Only those patients requiring extensive (for example burn cases, major amputations, or paraplegies) were sent to CONUS. Hospitalization