433rd AW Delivers Lethality, Enhances Readiness Through Strategic Support to Southern Star ’25 Published June 13, 2025 By Julian Hernandez 433rd Airlift Wing SANTIAGO, Chile -- 433rd Airlift Wing Citizen Airmen sharpened their combat readiness and reinforced global partnerships during Exercise Southern Star ’25, a multinational special operations exercise held across Chile from May 26 to June 8. Operating the C-5M Super Galaxy, the largest aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory, Alamo Wing aircrews provided critical airlift support to enable training for more than 2,700 personnel from six nations and 10 observing countries. From executing tactical offloads with Marine Raiders near Antofagasta to coordinating with Chilean F-16s in a defensive counter-air sortie, 433rd AW Airmen were integrated into every phase of Southern Star’s joint exercise mission. Partner nation military leaders observe as 433rd Airlift Wing Citizen Airmen open the front visor of a C-5M Super Galaxy during an aircraft tour and familiarization as part of Exercise Southern Star ‘25 at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, June 7, 2025. Southern Star ‘25 is a multinational special operations exercise taking place across Chile from May 26 to June 8, uniting forces from six nations and 10 observing countries, totaling more than 2,700 participants to enhance interoperability and strengthen global SOF partnerships through joint training from as far north as Antofagasta to the southern region of Punta Arenas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Julian Hernandez) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res “It’s good to be out in the system, doing the mission you were trained to do,” said Maj. Ben Ernst, a 68th Airlift Squadron C-5M pilot who graduated the C-5M Formal Training Unit earlier this year after switching from flying C-17s. “It’s great to be on a veteran crew with a lot of experienced people there to back you up.” The exercise tested the wing’s ability to operate under dynamic and unfamiliar conditions. Aircrews executed engine-running offloads (EROs), enabling rapid deployment of personnel and equipment in scenarios where ground time is limited—a key consideration in potential combat environments. A major highlight included a first-ever for the Alamo Wing - an integrated sortie pairing a 433rd AW C-5M with Chilean F-16 Fighting Falcons in a simulated escort and intercept scenario. The maneuver allowed 433rd AW aircrew and instructors to apply formal training unit lessons to real-world tactical contexts. U.S. Air Force Maj. Pete Andersen, a 68th Airlift Squadron C-5M pilot, scans the terrain during a sortie as part of Exercise Southern Star ‘25 near Antofagasta, Chile, June 4, 2025. Southern Star ‘25 is a multinational special operations exercise taking place across Chile from May 26 to June 8, uniting forces from six nations and 10 observing countries, totaling over 2700 participants to enhance interoperability and strengthen global SOF partnerships through joint training from as far north as Antofagasta to the southern region of Punta Arenas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Julian Hernandez) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Lt. Col. Christopher Jones (left), 356th Airlift Squadron commander and a C-5 instructor pilot, and Maj. Ben Ernst (right), a 68th Airlift Squadron pilot, taxi a 433rd Airlift Wing C-5M Super Galaxy during Exercise Southern Star ‘25 at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, June 3, 2025. Southern Star ‘25 is a multinational special operations exercise taking place across Chile from May 26 to June 8, uniting forces from six nations and 10 observing countries, totaling more than ,2700 participants to enhance interoperability and strengthen global SOF partnerships through joint training from as far north as Antofagasta to the southern region of Punta Arenas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Julian Hernandez) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res U.S. Air Force Maj. Ben Ernst, a 68th Airlift Squadron C-5M pilot, tracks two Chilean Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons during a defensive counter-air maneuver as part of Exercise Southern Star ‘25 June 5, 2025. Southern Star ‘25 is a multinational special operations exercise taking place across Chile from May 26 to June 8, uniting forces from six nations and 10 observing countries, totaling more than 2,700 participants to enhance interoperability and strengthen global SOF partnerships through joint training from as far north as Antofagasta to the southern region of Punta Arenas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Julian Hernandez) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res “This is why we practice,” Ernst added. “You run through EROs in the schoolhouse all the time, and out here it really pays off.” “I’m really proud of the crew,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Jones, 356th Airlift Squadron commander and aircraft commander for several of the Southern Star ‘25 sorties. “We met all of our objectives and gained valuable experience with maneuvers like engine-running offload procedures and defensive counter-air... skills we’d absolutely rely on in an Agile Combat Employment scenario.” Support from the 433rd Maintenance Group (MXG) with its carefully tailored personnel package was instrumental to mission success. “This was a great opportunity to fine-tune not only our procedures and processes, but also to show that we are more than a Formal Training Unit,” said Maj. Carlos Rocha, 433rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. Months of coordination between the 433rd MXG and Operations Group ensured a capable package of maintainers and support equipment ready for expeditionary operations. “It’s different from normal day-to-day ops,” Rocha said. “This was about moving a main body of maintainers away from home station and seeing if we could operate and execute in a foreign location as part of a joint operation with partner nations.” Rocha added the exercise offered a chance to showcase the Mission Ready Airman concept in action. “All hands on deck,” he said. “Everyone hit the ground running... seamlessly showing that it can be done.” U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Sergio Rosas, a 433rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion specialist, conducts pre-flight servicing on the landing gear of a C-5M Super Galaxy ahead of a sortie as part of Exercise Southern Star ‘25 at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, June 4, 2025. Southern Star ‘25 is a multinational special operations exercise taking place across Chile from May 26 to June 8, uniting forces from six nations and 10 observing countries, totaling over 2700 participants to enhance interoperability and strengthen global SOF partnerships through joint training from as far north as Antofagasta to the southern region of Punta Arenas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Julian Hernandez) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res 433rd Airlift Wing Citizen Airmen prepare a C-5M Super Galaxy for a mission supporting Exercise Southern Star ‘25 at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, June 1, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Julian Hernandez) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Chilean Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Adm. Pablo Niemann Figari shakes hands with U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Natalia Castano, a 433rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, after presenting her a coin as part of the closing ceremony for Exercise Southern Star ‘25 in Colina, Chile, June 8, 2025. Southern Star ‘25 is a multinational special operations exercise taking place across Chile from May 26 to June 8, uniting forces from six nations and 10 observing countries to enhance interoperability and strengthen global SOF partnerships through joint training from as far north as Antofagasta to the southern region of Punta Arenas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Julian Hernandez) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res In Santiago, senior military leaders and embassy staff toured the C-5M and observed interoperability efforts firsthand. The aircraft served as a venue for engagement with partner nation leaders, including Chilean Defense Minister Adriana Delpiano Puelma, Chilean Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Adm. Pablo Niemann Figari, U.S. Chargé d'affaires Rick Yoneoka, and several general officers from partner nation forces. U.S. Air Force Maj. Ben Ernst, a 68th Airlift Squadron C-5M pilot, discusses the C-5M Super Galaxy’s strategic airlift capabilities with partner nation military leaders during an aircraft tour and familiarization as part of Exercise Southern Star ‘25 at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, June 7, 2025. Southern Star ‘25 is a multinational special operations exercise taking place across Chile from May 26 to June 8, uniting forces from six nations and 10 observing countries, totaling over 2700 participants to enhance interoperability and strengthen global SOF partnerships through joint training from as far north as Antofagasta to the southern region of Punta Arenas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Julian Hernandez) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res At the closing ceremony in Colina, a symbolic “Brotherhood Jump” by multinational airborne forces capped off the exercise, reflecting the strengthened ties forged through weeks of joint operations. Representatives from participating units, including 433rd AW Citizen Airmen, were recognized during the ceremony. "The capabilities the 433rd Airlift Wing brought to this exercise are unique and unmatched," said Alfredo Moreno, U.S. Special Operation Command South’s chief of joint training and exercises and a lead planner for Southern Star 2025. "The fact that we're able to move this level of equipment to different locations while allowing the 433rd to accomplish its training objectives is indicative of the outcomes we are looking for... plus it lays the groundwork for future partnerships." Southern Star ’25 underscored the 433rd Airlift Wing’s ability to deliver global mobility, support allied operations, and maintain readiness in complex environments. As part of the total force, Citizen Airmen demonstrated that strategic assets like the C-5M remain indispensable to both peacetime partnerships and combat preparedness.