AMAZONAS, BRAZIL — After performing more than 64,000 medical procedures, the Brazilian Air Force's (FAB) Logistics, Health and Operational Supply Employment Campaign Exercise (EXCELSIOR) 2026 concluded its activities on June 12 in the municipality of Oriximiná, in the state of Pará. The initiative was the largest community outreach operation ever carried out by the Brazilian Air Force in the Amazon region.

“EXCELSIOR is a military exercise through which the Brazilian Air Force trains its personnel and equipment in hard-to-reach regions. Approximately 100 service members have been living on these barges for more than a month, supported by a complete infrastructure that includes food services, sleeping quarters, sanitation facilities, and command-and-control systems for communications,” said Brigadier Intendant Delmo Sifrônio Freire, a general officer of the Brazilian Air Force.

The mission followed a strategic route that began in the municipalities of Itacoatiara and Parintins, in the state of Amazonas, and concluded in Pará. The operation was conducted in partnership with the non-governmental organization Voluntários do Sertão, providing specialized medical care, preventive screenings and social assistance to remote communities along the Amazon River.

“We set up a hospital on two barges capable of providing care in multiple specialties. We also established a surgical center with the capacity to perform two minor surgeries simultaneously. We offer diagnostic services such as Doppler exams, echocardiograms, X-rays, electrocardiograms and a variety of ultrasound examinations, among others,” said Major Juliana Freire Vandesteen, a physician with the Brazilian Air Force.

Located in the far northwestern region of Pará, the municipality of Oriximiná reflects the logistical and infrastructure challenges of Brazil’s Legal Amazon and is the fourth-largest municipality in the world by land area.

The region is characterized by vast distances and highly dispersed communities, many of them inhabited by riverine, quilombola and Indigenous populations. Geographic isolation creates significant barriers to healthcare access, and travel by river to major urban centers for consultations or complex medical examinations can take several days.

“We saw the needs of the population. Many people come from remote areas, and many do not live in Oriximiná itself. We understood that we needed to reorganize our efforts with the goal of helping people and providing quality healthcare services,” Major Vandesteen said.

It was precisely to address this gap in healthcare access that the EXCELSIOR operation concentrated its final efforts in the municipality.

Amazon Agency