Department of Defense
INSTRUCTION
NUMBER 6000.16
May 17, 2010
USD(P&R)
SUBJECT: Military Health Support for Stability Operations
References: (a) DoD Directive 5124.02, “Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness (USD(P&R)),” June 23, 2008
(b) DoD Instruction 3000.05, “Stability Operations,” September 16, 2009
(c) DoD Directive 5136.01, “Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
(ASD(HA)), ”June 4, 2008
(d) Joint Publication 1-02, “Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and
Associated Terms,” current edition
1. PURPOSE
. This Instruction establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides
instructions for military health support of stability operations in accordance with the authority in
Reference (a). Military health support for stability operations is hereafter referred to as medical
stability operations (MSOs).
2. APPLICABILITY. This Instruction applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD
Field Activities, and all other organizational entities within the Department of Defense (hereafter
referred to collectively as the “DoD Components”).
3. DEFINITIONS
. See Glossary.
4. POLICY
. It is DoD policy that:
a. MSOs are a core U.S. military mission that the DoD Military Health System (MHS) shall
be prepared to conduct throughout all phases of conflict and across the range of military
operations, including in combat and non-combat environments. MSOs shall be given priority
comparable to combat operations and be explicitly addressed and integrated across all MHS
activities including doctrine, organization, training, education, exercises, materiel, leadership,
personnel, facilities, and planning in accordance with Reference (b).
