[Historical aspects of formation of Disaster Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation].

International and domestic experience of recent years is convincing evidence that military medical staff can and should be an important part of the national system of emergency medical assistance in emergency situations. The article is concerned with the participation of military medical personnel in Russia and the USSR in the aftermath of natural and technological disasters in the twentieth and twenty-first century. Historical background and 20 years of experience in the formation of Disaster Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.