The BSMC can hold up to how many patients who can return to duty within 72 hours?

• A. 10
• B. 20
• C. 30
• D. 40

Answer: (B)

The key idea is understanding the role of a Base Station Medical Center (BSMC) as a short-stay, high-turnover facility for service members who can return to duty quickly. The BSMC is designed with a limited bed capacity to enable rapid stabilization, treatment, and processing so that many patients can be cleared back to duty within a tight 72-hour window. This deliberate capacity keeps the flow moving through the forward medical system and prevents bottlenecks at higher-level facilities.

Twenty beds is the standard capacity for this purpose. With that size, the team can efficiently provide necessary care, monitor for any complications, and discharge individuals who meet criteria for return to duty, all within the target timeframe. If the facility were smaller, it would risk crowding and delays; if larger, it might indicate a different role or longer-stay capabilities than the BSMC is meant to provide.

So, the best answer is twenty because it reflects the BSMC’s purpose as a compact, rapid-processing node for short-term, return-to-duty cases.