U.S. Airmen visit Chilean pediatric patients during Salitre

Mission focus temporarily shifted from aircraft and operations to crayons and conversation as U.S. Airmen toured the pediatric wing of Hospital Regional de Antofagasta on July 6, 2026.

The visit, conducted as part of Salitre 2026, brought U.S. Airmen and five partner nations together with pediatric patients receiving care at one of northern Chile’s primary regional hospitals. The engagement emphasized the shared connection beyond the operational environment and reinforced the humanitarian values between partner nations.

“A visit like this brings perspective to why we do what we do,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Steven Cabrera, Salitre commander for the U.S personnel. “It encapsulates the why behind our what, because humanitarian visits showcase the human element in what we do. It’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae of what we do. Something like this brings purpose to it.”

Chilean hospital staff guided the group through the pediatric unit line with hand-drawn hearts, explaining care routines and the unique battles their patients face daily. As Airmen from across the Americas moved from room to room, they offered words of encouragement and small gifts.

Some children were shy while others were moved to tears of joy.

“I don’t have many good days,” said the young girl, as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I’m so happy today…thank you all.”

For Cabrera and his team, it was humbling to see such a resilient group of kids.

“Today, we hoped to bring inspiration to the children and the hospital staff,” said Cabrera. “It was clear to us that at least for a moment they forgot their plight and saw something different that brought them hope.”

The engagement is one of two community-focused events integrated into Salitre 2026 activities, which are being conducted alongside operations at Cerro Moreno Air Base. Chilean organizers noted that these moments of outreach are designed to strengthen interoperability not only in tactics and procedures, but also in mutual understanding between partner nations.

“This shows the world we are united,” said Cabrera. “There isn’t an element of us versus them. Maybe they didn’t know how close we were, and maybe now we showed them how truly close we are.”

Many Airmen on the tour said it served as a reminder that the impact of multinational exercises extends far beyond their air force specialties and despite the language differences we share countless similarities.

“Pediatric care can be a difficult specialty that weighs heavy on your heart but the passion and kindness the medical team has for their patients was obvious,” said Maj. Amanda Price, 446th Aeromedical Staging Squadron critical care air transport officer in charge of education and training. “As a nurse, it was wonderful to speak with the nurses and discuss the same struggles of the heart and love for our jobs.”

As the Airmen departed, the hospital staff sent waves of goodbye and thank yous as they disappeared around the corner, an image that lingered longer than the visit itself.

For a few hours, the hospital was not just a place of treatment, but a shared space of connection between U.S. Airmen and Chilean families, proof that even in the midst of multinational operations, small human interactions create lasting impacts.