USTRANSCOM, DOD and interagency partners exercise critical capability in US, Indo-Pacific

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. — U.S. Transportation Command commenced Ultimate Caduceus 2024 on June 10 to exercise inter-theater patient movement within the Indo-Pacific and patient distribution within the continental United States. 

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, as well as interagency partners involved in the reception and onward movement functions for global patient movement. 

“Ultimate Caduceus shows the world what our premier medical professionals can do and the lengths we’ll go to ensure our warfighters receive the care they need and bring them home,” said Air Force Col. Christopher Backus, USTRANSCOM command surgeon.

This year’s exercise blends virtual command post training, occurring June 10-20, with field training operations, occurring June 15-18 and 20-21. Field training operations span across six locations to include: Andersen Air Force Base, Guam; Travis Air Force Base, California; Sacramento, California, Reno, Nevada, Denver; and Salt Lake City. 

More than 1,000 joint and total force military and civilian personnel are participating 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. 

USTRANSCOM is DOD’s single manager for global patient movement and 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.

Exercise imagery and video content can be found at https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/UltimateCaduceus. Media queries regarding Ultimate Caduceus should be directed to Erik Anthony, USTRANSCOM public affairs planner/spokesperson, at (618) 406-7299 or email the USTRANSCOM Public Affairs Office org box at transcom-pa@mail.mil.