Pilots receive invaluable training at the Sentry Savannah 17-2 exercise

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Shelly Davison, 142nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
  • 142nd Fighter WIng

AIR DOMINANCE CENTER, SAVANNAH, Ga. - Approximately 140 Airmen and eight F-15C Eagles from the 142nd Fighter Wing, Oregon Air National Guard, participate in the Sentry Savannah 17-2 exercise January and February 2017 at the Air Dominance Center in Savannah, Georgia.

Sentry Savannah is a joint active and reserve aerial combat training exercise hosted by the Georgia Air National Guard and is the Air National Guard's largest fighter integration, air-to-air training exercise encompassing fourth and fifth generation aircraft.  

On the ramp the Oregon F-15C Eagles, sat alongside F-18 Hornets, T-38 Aggressors, and F-22 Raptors, all with the same goal--to fly, fight, and win. 

Airmen from operations, maintenance, logistics readiness, and security forces took part in the exercise. 

 “Having members from multiple units, who don’t normally work together on a daily basis, all working in a close environment, not only shows how well we work as a team to complete the mission, but also allows our members to get to know each other on a personal level,” said Master Sgt. Kevin Stone, the first sergeant for the exercise.

Each area focused on their roles, ensuring the overall mission is accomplished.

“Our job is to do everything we can to maintain a 100% effective rate, to make sure that our pilots get the training they need,” said Lt. Col. Todd Hofford, 142nd Maintenance Squadron commander.

For the F-15 pilots of the 123rd Fighter Squadron, “Sentry Savannah provides invaluable combat-like training not found in home station training missions,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Mathena, 123rd FS commander.  “For our new pilots, this is their first experience in this kind of environment, with multiple aircraft and scenarios.

Being in a deployed location presents challenges and opportunities for learning not faced at home.  However, the expertise, dedication, and professionalism of the entire team easily overcome any they face and make for an optimal training environment and a chance to demonstrate the 142nd FWs ability to deploy, any time, anywhere, said Mathena.

The mission of the 142nd Fighter Wing is to provide unequalled, mission-ready units to sustain combat aerospace superiority and peacetime tasking any time, any place in service to our nation, state and community.