Joint Medical Service (Germany)

Joint Medical Service
Zentraler Sanitätsdienst der Bundeswehr
Cap badge
Active	1 October 2000 – present
Country	Germany
Branch	Joint service
Role	Military medicine
Size	19,725 personnel (31 March 2015)^[1]
Equipment	• Hospitals and field hospitals • Rheinmetall YAK • Unimog
Commanders
Inspector of the Joint Medical Service	Generaloberstabsarzt Dr. Ingo Patschke
Insignia
Insignia of the Joint Medical Service

Medic during NATO Implementation Force (IFOR) in Croatia 1995

Field hospital Exercise

Vehicle of the Sanitätsdienst during KFOR

The Joint Medical Service (German: Zentraler Sanitätsdienst der Bundeswehr) is a part of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of Germany, but explicitly no new branch of arms. Medical personnel of all three branches (Army, Navy and Air Force) were assigned to a centralized authority which was installed to concentrate their capabilities. However these troops remain members of their original branch of arms. Only very specialized medical units (such as medical care for divers and aircraft crews) are not a part of the Joint Medical Service.

Structure

Just like all other branches of the German Armed Forces, the Joint Medical Service is divided into two divisions, one exercising command and control over the operational units whilst the other is in charge of schools and facilities. Furthermore, the area of responsibility is divided into four Medical Regions, each commanded by a central authority and identical to the four Defense District Commands of the Armed Forces.

German Armed Forces Surgeon General (Currently: Generaloberstabsarzt (3 stars) Dr. Ingo Patschke) ^[2]
Medical Service Staff at the Federal Ministry of Defence
Joint Medical Forces Command
- 1st Medical Regional Command
  - Bundeswehr Hospital in Westerstede
  - Bundeswehr Hospital in Hamburg
  - Field Hospital Regiment 11
  - Reserve Hospital Group
- 2nd Medical Regional Command
  - Bundeswehr Central Hospital in Koblenz
  - Field Hospital Regiment 21
  - Medical Regiment 22
- 3rd Medical Regional Command
  - Bundeswehr Hospital in Berlin
  - Field Hospital Regiment 31
  - Field Hospital Regiment 32
- 4th Medical Regional Command
  - Bundeswehr Hospital in Ulm
  - Field Hospital Regiment 41
  - Mountain Medical Regiment 42
- Rapid Medical Response Forces Command
Bundeswehr Medical Office
- Bundeswehr Medical Academy
- Medical Instruction Regiment
- Central Institute of the Bundeswehr Medical Service in Koblenz
- Central Institute of the Bundeswehr Medical Sercvie in Kiel
- Central Institute of the Bundeswehr Medical Service in Munich
- Bundeswehr Institute of Radiobiology
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology
- Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Bundeswehr Institute of Medical Occupational and Environmental Safety
- Institute of Medical Statistics and Data Processing
- Bundeswehr Institute of Sports Medicine

Ranks of the Bundeswehr Joint Medical Service


Army/Airforce: Generaloberstabsarzt (GenOStArzt) rank insignia	Navy: Admiraloberstabsarzt (AdmOStArzt) rank insignia

Army and Airforce

Human Medicine	Dentistry	Pharmacy	Veterinary	Army and Airforce	Foreign equivalents
Stabsarzt	Stabsarzt	Stabsapotheker	Stabsveterinär	Hauptmann	Captain
Oberstabsarzt	Oberstabsarzt	Oberstabsapotheker	Oberstabsveterinär	Major	Major
Oberfeldarzt	Oberfeldarzt	Oberfeldapotheker	Oberfeldveterinär	Oberstleutnant	Lieutenant Colonel
Oberstarzt	Oberstarzt	Oberstapotheker	Oberstveterinär	Oberst	Colonel
Generalarzt	Generalarzt	Generalapotheker	–	Brigadegeneral	Brigadier General
Generalstabsarzt	–	–	–	Generalmajor	Major General
Generaloberstabsarzt	–	–	–	Generalleutnant	Lieutenant General

Navy

Human Medicine	Dentistry	Pharmacy	Navy	Foreign equivalents

Stabsarzt	Stabsarzt	Stabsapotheker	Kapitänleutnant	Lieutenant
Oberstabsarzt	Oberstabsarzt	Oberstabsapotheker	Korvettenkapitän	Lieutenant Commander
Flottillenarzt	Flottillenarzt	Flottillenapotheker	Fregattenkapitän	Commander
Flottenarzt	Flottenarzt	Flottenapotheker	Kapitän zur See	Captain
Admiralarzt	Admiralarzt	Admiralapotheker	Flottillenadmiral	Rear Admiral (Lower Half)
Admiralstabsarzt	–	–	Konteradmiral	Rear Admiral (Upper Half)
Admiraloberstabsarzt	–	–	Vizeadmiral	Vice Admiral