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

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Anita Chebahtah | Air Force Staff Sgt. Michelle Chiaravalle, 60th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron aeromedical evacuation technician, talks with Marine Corps Cpl. Daniel Sanchez, with the Combat Logistics Regiment 3, while flying over the Pacific Ocean during exercise Ultimate Caduceus 2024, June 17, 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. (DOD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anita Chebahtah)  

UNITED STATES

07.21.2025

Story by Erik Anthony 

U.S. Transportation Command     

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. – U.S. Transportation Command’s annual Ultimate Caduceus exercise kicked off today, testing how the Defense Department and its interagency and industry partners coordinate military patient movement from the Indo-Pacific to United States.

Running July 21 through Aug. 2, the exercise will include military and civilian emergency response fixed and rotary wing aircraft. UC25 involves more than 1,000 military and civilian personnel, including teams from 21 civilian hospitals and representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Defense Health Agency.

“Ultimate Caduceus underscores our commitment to delivering world-class care and rapid evacuation for our military,” said Air Force Col. Christopher Backus, USTRANSCOM command surgeon. “With our government and civilian partners, we stand ready to bring our warfighters home, no matter where they are.”

This year’s activities include both virtual and in-person training around:

--Albuquerque, New Mexico
--Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
--Honolulu, Hawaii
--Sacramento, California
--Travis Air Force Base, California
--Scott Air Force Base, Illinois

A portion of UC25 focuses on engaging a National Defense Medical System pilot program, actively testing how all the emergency response systems work together to save lives during a potential national crisis.

Ultimate Caduceus exercises have been focused on troop patient transfer from the Indo-Pacific in the past, as well as patient movement from the Middle East and Europe.

As the DOD’s sole manager for global patient movement, USTRANSCOM leads aeromedical evacuation missions using high-capacity aircraft and en route care teams to transport personnel from the field to definitive care anywhere in the world.

Photos and video from the exercise are available at: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/UltimateCaduceus

Media inquiries:
USTRANSCOM Public Affairs
[phone]
[e-mail]

• Date Taken: 07.21.2025
• Date Posted: 07.21.2025 15:01
• Story ID: 543384
• Location: US