Sentry Savannah 2024 Final Report

It sounds like we can tie a bow on Sentry Savannah today. This morning I caught some 71st FS F-22s, 7th FTS T-38s, and 157th FS F-16s departing Savannah to head home. Just as I turned on the radios, I also heard something that sounded like F-35s (I never heard their callsign) with Atlanta Center getting cleared direct to Montgomery, so the 100th FS F-35s may have departed this morning as well. In one piece of good fortune this morning, I was also able to finally ID who HECKLER is; they're the 103rd ACS, CT ANG. A social media post about the exercise linked to this article, which tells how the 103rd ACS worked with the Georgia ARNG to "successfully deploy and execute a cloud-based radar and radio connection of the Tactical Operations System-Lite (TOC-L)."

Here's a final report on what I heard when I was able to listen.

Air Combat Exercise Sentry Savannah 2024 Underway at Savannah-Hilton Head IAP

Note: Updated after the 9 May 2024 morning sorties

Sentry Savannah 2024, an air combat exercise, got underway in Savannah on Monday. Described as "the National Guard Bureau’s premier counter air exercise specializing in fourth and fifth-generation fighter tactics,” it is held at the Georgia Air National Guard's Combat Readiness Center/Air Dominance Center at Savannah-Hilton Head IAP. This year's participants include F-22As and T-38s from the 71st FS and 7th FTS at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, F-35As from the 100th FS at ANGB Dannelly Field, and F-16CMs from McEntire JNGB. So far, they've been flying morning and afternoon sorties out to the SEALORD controlled Special Use Areas off the South Carolina/Georgia/Florida coast. Tanker support has been from 185th ARW KC-135Rs flying out of Hunter AAF and 157th ARW KC-46s flying out of Myrtle Beach. Intercept control is being provided by HECKLER, a callsign I've not heard before.

Coastal Georgia Military Monitoring Recap; April 2024

April was yet another terrific month for military monitoring in Coastal Georgia; the first four months of 2024 have been extraordinary. The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd ID was in the field for part of the month, with a lot of radio traffic on the US Army 98D TRS coordinating their training. The 23rd Wing from Moody AFB conducted an exercise, part of which was held at the Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center/Air Dominance Center (CRTC/ADC). A short road trip up to Beaufort County, SC gave me the opportunity to do some listening around MCRD Parris Island and a two and a half day road trip to the Space Coast gave me the opportunity to do some listening around Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral SFS as well as catch a night launch in person.