SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (USTCNS) --- Six U.S. Transportation Command personnel returned from an eight -week deployment in Germany in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Dec. 3.

Returning were:

Air Force Maj. Sheila Marcusen, operations officer; Maj. Eleanor Jarrett, clinical coordinator; 1st Lt. Rodney Jones; Army Sgt. Maria Flores, patient regulator; Army Sgt. Tim Fromme, patient controller; and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Boyd, patient regulator.

According to Army Lt. Col. Duane Hill, director of USTRANSCOM's Global Patient Movement Requirements Center, all were deployed to Ramstein Air Base.

At Ramstein, the deployed personnel were integrated into the European Command's Theater Patient Movement Requirements Center (TPMRC), said Hill.

The service members represented the active and reserve components of USTRANSCOM.

Marcusen, Jarrett, Jones, and Fromme are members of USTRANSCOM's Joint Transportation Reserve Unit. All train with the GPMRC.

Flores and Boyd are active duty members and are assigned to the GPMRC.

Flores felt the team was ready based on their experience at the GPMRC at USTRANSCOM.

"We did basically that same thing we do here, we track patients, move them through the air evac system, validated them…and moved them from point A to point B," said Flores.

Returning service members were greeted at St. Louis' Lambert airport by a contingent from USTRANSCOM.

"It's kind of nice to see people at the airport waiting for you," said Army Col. Michael Janovicz, Army element commander, Joint Transportation Reserve Unit. "It's kind of nice to see them off and kind of nice to see them coming back...a good bunch of folks."

According to Hill the mission was possible only through the teamwork of the active and reserve elements of USTRANSCOM.

"We're able to utilize the JTRU, they're a vital component part of GPMRC's Team. This particular deployment illustrated the value that they bring (to the) GPMRC," said Hill. "Through the synergistic efforts of our active duty service members and JTRU service members, GPMRC can react to any type of contingency and provide vital patient movement, patient regulating and intransit visibility to command agencies within the theater of operations."

Such teamwork is critical to patients worldwide.

"The JTRU service members in concert with our active duty provide USTC-SG (USTRANSCOM Surgeon General) and GPMRC with a capability of quickly getting into an AOR (area of operations) and providing patient movement and patient regulating," said Hill

Patient regulators, usually corpsmen and nurses, compile information on a patient's condition.

Operations officers review the location of the patient and suitable airfield availability, determine if a scheduled flight is available or if the patient's condition mandates a special flight, check's the patient's condition prior to a scheduled flight, then briefs the medical crew that will transport the patient and ensures required equipment is available.

In addition to the European TPMRC, there is a like organization in the Pacific theater.

The GPMRC coordinates the global movement of patients under the direction of the USTRANSCOM Surgeon General.

The GPMRC operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with approximately 35 operations positions and 25 support/readiness personnel.

"The best thing about having them back is getting them home in time for the holidays," said Hill. But, he cautioned, time will tell how many more deployments will be necessary. "We understand that the war against terrorism is going to be a long process."

(Dave Patterson, USTRANSCOM Public Affairs, contributed to this article)