Other specialties of the Battalion include Combat Search and Rescue, CBRNE detection, verification and decontamination, Diving and Aviation medicine and numerous other skills associated in supporting Special Forces.

[2] Other tasks of the battalion include, but are not limited to, medical support to the South African Police Service Special Task Force and other elite units, the South African Air Force Combat Search and Rescue units and the Presidential Protection Services (particularly in the context of Joint VVIP Protection Operations).

In its early days unit members were involved in clandestine operations working closely with Special Forces, the Parachute Battalions supporting UNITA and Project Coast.

The need for specially trained medics and doctors to support the Airborne units (Parabats) and the Recces increased as the Angolan Bush War intensified.

At its inception, 7 Med was housed at the back of SAMS (South African Medical Services) College in Voortrekker Hoogte and the unit used two mobile homes for offices.

As the Unit expanded, the need for a bigger facility arose and the Battalion was moved to Lyttelton, Centurion where it currently shares the premises with the Institute For Aviation Medicine (IAM).

[6] According to records he never revealed the location of his nearby unit in spite of brutal interrogation at the hands of his captors enabling them (7 Med Bn Gp, medical surgical team) to escape and evade capture.

It is believed that 7 Medical Battalion Group supported UNITA and RENAMO and that injured members of these organizations were secretly evacuated to South Africa for treatment at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria.

7 Medical Battalion Group supported the Parachute and other units during internal stability operations during the run up to the country's first democratic general elections in 1994.

Sergeant Sax was the first newly formed South African National Defence Force soldier to be killed in action.

7 Medical Battalion Group was immediately deployed to assist the South African Air Force contingent during rescue and the subsequent humanitarian relief operations.

A member of the unit (Cpl Tshifhiwa Godfrey Nengovhela) made world news by performing a difficult rescue of a mother and her new born baby from a tree.

On 22 November 1995, Pierre Venter, a 7 Med Ops medic, died during a whiteout when he was separated from a search party during a storm.

The Chemical Biological Warfare Wing is responsible for the training of the SANDF, South African Police Service (SAPS) and other government agencies in defensive CBRNE measures.

Other functions include the maintenance of a CBRNE detection and verification capability and the conduct of research and development of equipment and techniques in cooperation with local civilian contractors.

The system of training enables CBW wing members to easily integrate with civilian emergency services if the need arises.

Prior to and during the 2010 FIFA World Cup 7 Med CBW Wing personnel were instrumental in the procurement and employment of sophisticated CBRNE detection equipment.

The 7 Med CBW Wing assist the South African government in its obligations to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

CBW Wing members regularly attend foreign training courses to ensure that knowledge and skills remain at the highest levels.

Candidates must pass a pre-selection consisting of the South African Army fitness test and psychometric assessments before being allowed on the training cycle.

The 7 Medical Battalion Group training cycle takes approximately a year to complete and in itself is the selection of the unit, due to the high course attrition rate.

On completion, candidates are qualified as Combat Medical Support Operators and awarded the 7 Med Bn Gp Ops badge to be worn on the right chest and the Parachute wings on the left.

Members deployed at Satellite Special Forces units occasionally do specialist courses to enable them to better support their clients.

The SAS acronym has been adopted to pay homage to the British Special Air Service whose approaches to selection and training were used as benchmarks by 7 Med instructors.

The Battalion is capable of erecting a fully functional operating theatre within minutes and can receive patients from the battlefield within an hour.

Members of the battalion are encouraged to do the tandem parachute course to enable non-parachute qualified personnel like medical specialists from the SAMHS to be tandem-parachuted in if necessary.

South African air assault operations are planned to be self sufficient for 72 hours before resupply and/or link up with a larger force.

[17] The Chemical Biological wing developed an armored and mine protected field laboratory with CW filtered overpressure systems.