Army team greets wounded Soldiers at Andrews.

WOUNDED Soldiers sent home from overseas are greeted by their own before they are even off the plane at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

They are welcomed back to the country by a three-Soldier team from the U.S. Army Military District of Washington: the Medical Evacuation to CONUS Hospitals team.

Colonel James Conaway, Master Sgt. Jon Taylor and Master Sgt. Juan Reyna act as advocates and liaisons to the United States.

"We help to coordinate, communicate and just take care of all the wounded warriors that come back from Landstuhl and Ramstein here to the continental United States," said Conaway, the team chief.

While the Air Force medical team cares for the Soldiers, the Medical Evacuation team provides the Army's wounded with support and answers to questions.

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The team responds three times a week to meet every plane carrying wounded warriors home. Before the plane even lands, every Soldier's next destination is mapped out by the teams.

Some of the patients are helped off the plane and moved to a waiting medical vehicle that transports them immediately to area hospitals, such as Walter Reed Army Medical Center or the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.

All other wounded warriors stay on base at the 779th Medical Unit of Malcolm Grow Medical Center where they spend the night.

After about 24 hours, the Soldiers are transferred to hospitals based on their medical needs and proximity to family and their home base. --ARNEWS/Holly Meyer