CHILE –
A 433rd Airlift Wing aircrew reached a historic milestone during Exercise Southern Star ’25, completing the Alamo Wing’s first-ever integrated sortie with F-16 Fighting Falcons.
In the skies over Chile, a C-5M Super Galaxy and the F-16s participated in a defensive counter-air training event. The maneuver involved four Chilean Air Force fighters, two assigned to escort and defend the C-5M, and two tasked with intercepting it.
The exercise challenged Alamo Wing Citizen Airmen to elevate their skills in preparation for the demands of a new strategic environment where air superiority is not guaranteed.
The sortie served as a unique training opportunity, not only for the participating aircrew, but also for instructors in the C-5M formal training unit hosted by the wing.
Insights from the flight are now helping shape new lessons to strengthen the lethality and readiness of future Airmen.