Photo By Tech. Sgt. Christian Jadot | U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter jets are parked on the flight line before flying in...... read more read more
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Members of the 144th Fighter Wing deployed to Kingsley Field to participate in Sentry Eagle 2017 in Klamath Falls, Ore. July 21, 2017.
Sentry Eagle is a large scale air-to-air combat exercise hosted by the Oregon Air National Guard every other year. Sentry Eagle allows pilots of dissimilar aircraft to train together in a safe learning environment.
“Our instructor pilots are training America's next generation of air superiority pilots,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Jeff Smith, 173rd Fighter Wing commander. “We train F-15C pilots to accomplish air superiority for the nation. We practice year-in and year-out with our students without many dissimilar aircraft opportunities. To bring this widearray of fighters and capability, multiple components, multiple services on to our ramp and in flight to integrate it is unbelievable.”
The 144 FW deployed with five F-15C Eagle fighter jets and roughly 80 Airman to take part in this opportunity to train with other units from the nation.
“The mission is going awesome, so far we having a great time,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Kirk Adams, 144 FW pilot. “We are getting a lot of good training out there with all the different airframes including the F-16, the F-35, the F-18 Super Hornet and the F-18 Growlers. It is really a great exercise to see all these different platforms that we normally don't see on a regular basis back home.”
Capt. Adams was not only a pilot but also the project officer (Projo) for this deployment.
“Being the Projo entails coordinating with all the different sections and shops of the 144 FW,” Capt. Adams said. “So basically I get the manning, the bodies, the funding requests from the National Guard Bureau and also coordinating with maintenance to get the jets and also the pilots all up to Klamath Falls. This also includes getting everything they need like rooms, rental cars and all the little administration things you don't really think about.”
Sentry Eagle is the largest Air National Guard hosted exercise of its kind. It prepares the units participating to work with each other if a real world need occurs.
“This helps the Air Force by getting training not only for the pilots but also the maintainers,” Capt. Adams said. “Everybody is working hard, everybody is working as a coordinated platform in a deployed type of location. This helps up our experience as a total entity and also helps us integrate with the different airframes around the Air Force as well as the Navy.”
The maintainers on the ground made sure the 144 FW aircraft never missed a sortie.
“I am a crew chief I help maintain the jets,” said Airman 1st Class William Hurst, 144 FW crew chief. “I make sure the planes are good to go for the flight by communicating with the pilot. I make sure they know everything that is going on with the aircraft.”
For some of the Airmen that deployed with the 144 FW, it was their first time on a training exercise away from the Fresno Air National Guard base.
“This is my first trip and my first deployment with the unit and we're having a great time,” Airman 1st Class Hurst said. “It has been a lot of fun working with all these guys and getting to see some amazing airplanes and doing good work.”
It takes roughly a year of planning and preparation to host an exercise of this size. Details have to be worked out with all agencies involved to prove a smooth training exercise.
“This is our 16th Sentry Eagle. We plan to host another one here in 2019,” said Col. Smith.
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 07.26.2017 13:43 |
| Story ID: | 242633 |
| Location: | KLAMATH FALLS, OR, US |
| Web Views: | 757 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The 144th Fighter Wing engages in Sentry Eagle 2017, by TSgt Christian Jadot, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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