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Air Force Medical Service

Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

Published June 24, 2024
By Tech. Sgt. Savannah L. Waters
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --

Approximately 550 Team Travis members participated in Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 10-21. UC24 is an annual U.S. Transportation Command led patient movement field training exercise held at multiple locations throughout the Indo-Pacific and within the United States.

Ultimate Caduceus assessed USTRANSCOM’s ability and capacity to conduct global patient movement on a large scale and in a field training environment, as well as examined patient movement functionality across the DoD and with interagency partners.

“We are super grateful to be a part of Ultimate Caduceus 24, knowing what an incredible planning event it has been over several months,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Derek Salmi, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander. “We are so grateful for the reps and sets that it has given our team to integrate in the broader patient management and patient distribution system.”

C-17 taxis — 240614-F-OY799-1468

A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III is marshalled on the flight line during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 14, 2024. UC24 assessed U.S. Transportation Command’s ability and capacity to conduct Global Patient Movement (GPM) at a large scale and in a field training environment, as well as examined patient movement functionality across the DoD and with interagency partners. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kenneth Abbate)

SLIDESHOW | images | 240614-F-OY799-1468

C-17s parked on flight line with sun rising behind them — 240614-F-OY799-1015

U.S. Air Force aircraft sit parked on the flight line at sunrise during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 14, 2024. More than 1,000 military and civilian personnel are participating in UC24 from June 10-21, an annual U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) led patient movement field training exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kenneth Abbate)

SLIDESHOW | images | 240614-F-OY799-1015

Airmen build ERPSS tent — 240614-F-OY799-1681

U.S. Airmen assigned to various U.S. installations connect framework for an En Route Patient Staging System during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 14, 2024. UC24 assessed U.S. Transportation Command’s (USTRANSCOM) ability and capacity to conduct Global Patient Movement (GPM) at a large scale and in a field training environment, as well as examined patient movement functionality across the DoD and with interagency partners. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kenneth Abbate)

SLIDESHOW | images | 240614-F-OY799-1681

An airman builds ERPSS tent — 240614-F-OY799-1699

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Bunthoeun Prach, right, 60th Health Care Operations Squadron allergy and immunization technician, and Senior Airman Taylee-Saveen Gonzalez, 60th Inpatient Operations Squadron critical care technician, fill syringes during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 13, 2024. More than 1,000 military and civilian personnel are participating in UC24 from June 10-21, an annual U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) led patient movement field training exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kenneth Abbate)

SLIDESHOW | images | 240614-F-OY799-1699

Airman transport simulated patient — Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

U.S. Airmen prepare to load a simulated patient onto an ambulance bus during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 17, 2024. UC24 assessed U.S. Transportation Command's (USTRANSCOM) ability and capacity to conduct Global Patient Movement (GPM) at a large scale and in a field training environment, as well as examined patient movement functionality across the DoD and with interagency partners.

SLIDESHOW | images | Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

Airman stand on K loader — Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

U.S. Airmen transport simulated patient litters onto a Boeing 767 passenger jet using a 60K Tonner Loader during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 17, 2024. Participants simulated receiving injured troops from overseas locations at designated Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) hubs and Patient Reception Areas (PRA) where Federal Coordinating Centers (FCCs) and local partners received, triaged, staged, tracked and transported patients to pre-designated local definitive care facilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robert Nichols)

SLIDESHOW | images | Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

Airmen walk away from simulated patients — Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

U.S. Airmen train on patient movement and transport during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 17, 2024. More than 1,000 military and civilian personnel participated in UC24 from June 10-21, an annual U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) led patient movement field training exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robert Nichols)

SLIDESHOW | images | Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

An airman reads a simulated medical scenario on an aircraft — Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

U.S. Air Force Maj. Howard Luong, 22nd Health Care Operations Squadron physician assistant, reads a simulated medical scenario during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 mid-flight over Northern California, June 18, 2024. More than 1,000 military and civilian personnel participated in the annual U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) led patient movement field training exercise from June 10 to June 21. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Philip Bryant)

SLIDESHOW | images | Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

An airman records simulated patient notes on an aircraft — Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

U.S. Air Force Capt. Genesis Santos, 959th Inpatient Operations Squadron transport nurse, records simulated patient notes during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 in the skies over Northern California, June 18, 2024. Participants simulated receiving injured troops from overseas locations at designated aeromedical evacuation (AE) hubs and patient reception areas (PRA) where federal coordinating centers (FCCs) and local partners received, triaged, staged, tracked and transported patients to pre-designated local medical facilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Philip Bryant)

SLIDESHOW | images | Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

Airmen load simulated patients onto an aircraft — Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

U.S. Airmen load 30 simulated patients onto a C-130J Super Hercules during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 18, 2024. Ultimate Caduceus is an annual patient movement training event designed to test the capabilities of and provide field training to aeromedical evacuation and critical care air transport teams, medical staging systems, and interagency partners involved in the reception and onward movement functions for global patient movement. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Philip Bryant)

SLIDESHOW | images | Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

Airmen transport simulated patients from an ambulance bus onto an aircraft — Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

U.S. Airmen transport a simulated patient onto a C-130J Super Hercules during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 18, 2024. Participants simulated receiving injured troops from overseas locations at designated aeromedical evacuation (AE) hubs and patient reception areas (PRA) where federal coordinating centers (FCCs) and local partners received, triaged, staged, tracked and transported patients to pre-designated local medical facilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Philip Bryant)

SLIDESHOW | images | Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

Airman practice in-processing simulated patients in an ERPSS tent — Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

U.S. Airmen practice in-processing simulated patients into an En Route Patient Staging System (ERPSS) tent during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 17, 2024. UC24 allowed global military patient movement stakeholders to train during large scale patient movement operations with unity of effort and an understanding of each other’s roles to provide safe, reliable and scalable global patient movement for the DoD.

SLIDESHOW | images | Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

An airman wheels a simulated patient in front of an ambulance bus — Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Brandon Hockenbarger, 59th Medical Operations Squadron warrior operational medicine clinic flight chief, wheels a simulated patient toward an En Route Patient Staging System (ERPSS) tent during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 17, 2024. Participants simulated receiving injured troops from overseas locations at designated Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) hubs and Patient Reception Areas (PRA) where Federal Coordinating Centers (FCCs) and local partners received, triaged, staged, tracked and transported patients to pre-designated local definitive care facilities.

SLIDESHOW | images | Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

Airmen lift a simulated patient onto an ambulance bus — Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brandi Roberts, left, 349th Aeromedical Staging Squadron aerospace medical service technician, and Airman 1st Class Ea Tim, 81st Surgical Operations Squadron obstetrics and gynecology aerospace medical technician, load a simulated patient into an ambulance bus during Exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 17, 2024. More than 1,000 joint and total force military and civilian personnel participated in the exercise, including representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Defense Health Agency.

SLIDESHOW | images | Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

Airmen practice transporting simulated patients off of an aircraft — Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jordan Vasquez, left, 316th Healthcare Operations Squadron medical services flight chief, Master Sgt. Wendy Wallen, center, 316th Healthcare Operations Squadron service lead, and Senior Airman Rebecca Mozingo, 316th Healthcare Operations Squadron critical care technician, transport simulated patients from a C-130J Super Hercules during exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024 at Travis Air Force Base, California, June 17, 2024. UC24 assessed U.S. Transportation Command’s (USTRANSCOM) ability and capacity to conduct Global Patient Movement (GPM) at a large scale and in a field training environment, as well as examined patient movement functionality across the DoD and with interagency partners.

SLIDESHOW | images | Team Travis demonstrates commitment to patient care in UC24

Participants simulated receiving injured troops from overseas locations at designated Aeromedical Evacuation hubs and Patient Reception Areas where Federal Coordinating Centers and local partners received, triaged, staged, tracked and transported patients to pre-designated local definitive care facilities.

“This exercise prepared Medic Airmen to treat and render aid to injured personnel, ensuring continuous care from the point of injury in a contested environment, all the way to definitive medical treatment stateside,” said Maj. Melvin Tsui, 60th Medical Group medical incident commander. “This exercise was critical in ensuring we can interoperate with multiple agencies within the patient movement system. Each component is essential, and the exercising of those communication lines is vital to ensuring this system works in a large-scale overseas conflict.

More than 1,000 joint and total force military and civilian personnel participated in this year’s iteration, demonstrating a collective commitment to patient care. This included representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Defense Health Agency.

“What was unique about this UC is it started in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Guam [and continued with] Travis, Denver, Reno, Washington D.C. and Pearl Harbor, Hickam,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Christopher Backus, USTRANSCOM command surgeon. “This has been a bigger UC than most, and I feel like this has paved some new ground. We’ve definitely made steps forward on items that we want, and we are looking forward to making further steps.”

UC24 allowed global military patient movement stakeholders to train with a unity of effort and an understanding of each other’s roles to provide safe, reliable and scalable global patient movement for the DoD.

As the DoD’s single manager for global patient movement, USTRANSCOM provides the world's only long-range, large-capacity aeromedical evacuation capability, enabling en route health care management to patients from locations across the globe to their point of definitive medical care.