"THE 47TH COMBAT SUPPORT HOSPITAL (CSH) WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTITUTED AS THE 47TH SURGICAL HOSPITAL ON 21 DECEMBER 1928 AND SUBSEQUENTLY RE-DESIGNATED AS THE 47TH PORTABLE SURGICAL HOSPITAL. THE UNIT WAS OFFICIALLY ACTIVATED ON 7 JUNE 1943 AT FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI AND DEPLOYED TO SUPPORT AMERICAN AND BRITISH FORCES IN THE CHINA-BURMESE THEATER OF OPERATIONS DURING WORLD WAR II. THE UNIT WAS DEA
CTIVATED AT THE CONCLUSION OF HOSTILITIES BUT WAS REACTIVATED AFTER A NINE YEAR ABSENCE FROM MILITARY SERVICE AS THE 47TH MOBILE ARMY SURGICAL HOSPITAL (M.A.S.H). THE UNIT DEPLOYED IN SUPPORT OF UNITED NATIONS FORCES IN DEFENSE OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA IN 1953 AND CONTINUED TO SUPPORT PEACE KEEPING OPERATIONS UNTIL 1957. THE UNIT THEN UNDERWENT ANOTHER ELEVEN YEAR PERIOD OF INACTIVATION UNTIL IT WAS REACTIVATED AT ITS CURRENT HOME AT JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCHORD WA, ON 10 JANUARY 1968. IN MAY OF 1973 THE UNIT WAS REORGANIZED IN ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION AS A COMBAT SUPPORT HOSPITAL. IN MORE RECENT HISTORY THE 47TH CSH DEPLOYED TO SUPPORT THE 18TH AIRBORNE CORPS DURING OPERATION DESERT SHIELD/STORM WITH THE NOTED DISTINCTION OF BEING THE MOST FORWARD DEPLOYED HOSPITAL IN THEATER. THE 47TH CSH HAS ALSO COMPLETED THREE DEPLOYMENT ROTATIONS IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM DURING 2003, 2005, AND 2009. THE LATEST DEPLOYMENT WAS IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION NEW DAWN (OND), WHICH INCLUDED THE REDUCTION OF FORCES AND CONCLUSION OF AMERICAN MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE NATION OF IRAQ. THESE AWARDS HAVE RECOGNIZED ITS PARTICIPATION AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS IN KOREA, SAUDI ARABIA, KUWAIT AND IRAQ. CAMPAIGN STREAMERS HAVE ALSO BEEN AWARDED TO THE 47TH CSH TO RECOGNIZE BOTH ITS PARTICIPATION AND SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS IN SUPPORTING COMBAT OPERATIONS AND CAMPAIGNS. THE FIRST STREAMER WAS AWARDED FOR THE DEFENSE OF CHINA, INDIA, AND BURMA DURING WORLD WAR II. THE SECOND FOR THE KOREAN WAR WHILE SUPPORTING UNITED NATIONS FORCES DURING THE WINTER AND SUMMER CAMPAIGNS OF 1953. THE THIRD AWARD STREAMER WAS RELATED TO SOUTHWEST ASIA CAMPAIGNS KNOWN AS DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, WHICH ENCOMPASSED THE LIBERATION OF KUWAIT AND SUBSEQUENT CEASE FIRE OPERATIONS. LATER AWARDS ARE NOTED FOR OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM IN 2003, 2005, AND 2010 WHICH SUPPORTED INITIAL OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS, AND LATER PEACE-KEEPING AND NATION BUILDING EFFORTS"
