The 421st Medical Battalion (Multifunctional) (MMB) was first constituted on 1 October 1933 in the Regular Army as Company C, 31st Medical Regiment and activated on 15 July 1942 at Camp Barkeley, Texas. The unit was reorganized and re-designated on 10 September 1943 as the 421st Collecting Company. It was reorganized and re-designated on 19 July 1945 as the 421st Medical Collecting Company. During the Second World War, the Company participated in 2 campaigns, Rhineland and Central Europe.
The Company later went on to serve during the Korean War. It was reorganized and re-designated on 27 July 1950 as the 421st Medical Collecting Company, Separate. It participated in 8 campaigns during the Korean War: UN Offensive, CCF Intervention, First UN Counteroffensive, CCF Spring Offensive, UN Summer-Fall Offensive, Second Korean Winter, Korea Summer-Fall 1952, and Third Korean Winter. Following its service during the Korean War it was inactivated on 1 April 1953 in Korea. The Company was re-designated on 24 July 1961 as the 421st Medical Company and activated on 21 August 1961 in Germany.
The Company was again reorganized and re-designated on 16 October 1988 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 421st Medical Battalion. The 421st Medical Battalion (Evacuation), a part of the 30th Medical Group, had been the only air and ground medical evacuation battalion in US Army Europe. The organization was a part of the 30th Medical Brigade and was composed of 4 companies and 2 detachments. Soldiers of the 421st Medical Battalion were stationed in Wiesbaden, Landstuhl and Katterbach. The unit's mission was to deploy and provide air and ground medical evacuation. Their motto is “Victory Through Strength!”
As part of the restructuring of US forces in Europe, which included the reorganization and re-designation of the 30th Medical Brigade as the 30th Medical Command in 2008, the 421st Medical Battalion was reorganized as a multifunctional medical battalion, consisting of a Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment and seven other subordinate detachments.
Since 2008, the battalion and subordinate units have deployed to several operations included Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. In October 2012, 421st MMB was directed to deploy and provide Role 2-Enhanced Army Health System Support for NATO Peace Support Operations in Kosovo. TF MED (KFOR 17) deployed on 15 May 2013 in support of Operation Joint Guardian and in direct support of Multinational Battle Group-East whose mission was to enable the establishment of a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement. TF MED redeployed after a successful mission on 15 February 2014.
By 2015, the battalion consisting of only six units, the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, the 8th Medical Company (LOG), the 64th Medical Detachment (VSS), the 71st Medical Detachment (PM), the 254th Medical Detachment (COSC), and the 557th Medical Company (AS) have all relocated to Smith Barracks, Baumholder, Germany, where the battalion currently resides.
The 421st Medical Battalion (Multifunctional), supports 30th Medical Brigade, the Europe Regional Medical Command, US Army Europe (USAREUR), the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, and European Command (EUCOM), and plays a crucial role in every military operation in the theater.
Their Motto is “Viper Medics…Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime!”