Airmen conduct joint expeditionary training during Project Carabao Published May 7, 2025 By Airman Xavier Romero 36th Wing and 436th Airlift Wing ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Airmen from the 36th Wing and 436th Airlift Wing carried out a series of high-tempo training exercises at Andersen and Saipan International Airport, Northern Mariana Islands, April 25-May 4, 2025, to rehearse ground refueling procedures and test intelligence equipment for remote operations in contested environments. Project Carabao, a joint training exercise involving multiple units from Andersen and Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, centered on a C-5M Super Galaxy and aimed to prepare Airmen to survive and win in a contested environment. The exercise included wet-wing defueling and airlift operations that involved transporting an R-11 refueler to Saipan to simulate establishing operations on a remote island. "The 436th Airlift Wing is deploying one C-5 along with its LRS team to focus on specialized and agile C-5 logistics operations, directly tackling key learning objectives," said Capt. Ricoh Blackmon, assistant director of operations for the 36th Tactical Advisory Squadron. "This is a high-value opportunity to sharpen our warfighting edge in a contested logistics field." 436th Airlift Wing personnel — including pilots, flight engineers, loadmasters, logistics specialists and maintainers — worked together to successfully complete the mission while providing 36th Wing Airmen with hands-on refueling training. Wet-wing defueling is a method of refueling where fuel is taken from the aircraft while the engines are running and placed elsewhere to be used later for different aircraft. Wet-wing defueling is especially valuable when traditional fuel infrastructure might be limited - as was the case on the simulated remote island of Saipan during Project Carabao. "We’re also leveraging this event to deploy the 554th RED HORSE Squadron's eADR system to Saipan, using it as both a readiness and training initiative," Blackmon said. Project Carabao’s joint training efforts validate key expeditionary logistics concepts in preparation for upcoming operations at Andersen during Return of Forces to Pacific and Mobility Guardian 2025.