TRAC²ES was originally planned to be a module of the Global Transportation Network, but in late 1996, TRANSCOM decided to develop it as a separate system. Technical program responsibility was assigned to the Air Force and AFOTEC was designated the independent OTA. In July 1998, TRAC²ES was granted Milestone I/II approval, and a development contract was awarded to Booz, Allen & Hamilton of McLean, VA. Subsequent cuts in funding delayed the program and effectively curtailed development of any further increments once the Initial Operational Capability (IOC) version was fielded.

With DOT&E endorsement, AFOTEC used a Combined Test Force (CTF) approach to integrate OT&E into the early stages of the acquisition process. This permitted early deficiency identification and resolution, and facilitated incremental refinement prior to IOC. Working with user representatives, the OTA developed mission level requirements that could be tested comprehensively during IOT&E. In October 2000, a type of operational assessment called Operational Field Test (OFT) was conducted in an artificial operational environment. Because it was still part of DT&E, the OFT was conducted under the lead of the contractor, but AFOTEC designed the scenarios and closely monitored the testing. During the last stage of DT&E, the contractor made a number of final "fixes."

AFOTEC conducted independent OT from March 26 through May 4, 2001, focusing on two major evaluation areas: (1) rapid evacuation of patients from a theater and (2) efficiency of global patient movement operations. AFOTEC addressed the first area during a 1-week command post exercise held in the United States. The OTA addressed the second area over a 6-week period by direct observation of TRAC²ES support of daily patient movement at the GPMRC at Scott AFB, IL; at the TPMRC at Ramstein AFB, Germany; and at several MTFs throughout the United States and Europe.

DOT&E considered TRAC²ES operationally effective and suitable (with one exception), based on a combination of: (1) demonstrated system performance against user requirements, and (2) operator judgment of mission accomplishment. DOT&E considered only one area (user training and manuals for deployable operations) to be unsuitable. Setup of the deployable TRAC²ES equipment and communications is very complex. Currently, no one is trained to do this, and there are no technical manuals or instructions.

TRAC²ES is a major improvement over the increasingly unsupportable legacy systems and greatly enhances the in transit visibility (ITV) of patients during medical evacuation. The system ushers in a new way of doing business wherein various users will now have to keep computer data bases updated, but the ITV information will be better and much more readily available than before. The deficiency regarding setup of the deployable capability, while significant, does not inhibit the deployment of TRAC²ES to the fixed locations of the GPMRC and the two TPMRCs. The PM declared IOC in July 2001 and full fielding is in progress. A major lesson learned is that the CTF process can facilitate the development of a quality product, even in the face of very limited funding.