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.

 

Aerospace History, a SpaceX Night Launch, and Wildlife - Space Coast Road Trip Radio Report; 26-28 April 2024

This past Saturday was Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Family Day, and a friend invited me along for a base tour; since it coincided with my weekend off, it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I left Savannah on Friday and came back on Sunday. In addition to the Cape Canaveral SFS visit, I was able to visit the Merritt Island NWR and take in my first in person night launch when SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 on Saturday night. And as always, a trip to the Space Coast makes for interesting radio listening. It was a truly enjoyable road trip that in the end seemed all to short.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center on Saturday night, 27April 2024. The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) can be seen on the right, and LC-39B, lit up for work, can be seen to the left of the launch.

Fort Fremont and Naval History in Port Royal; Mini Road Trip Radio Report; 6 April 2024

After having breakfast with some of the Coastal Amateur Radio Society crew yesterday morning, I drove roughly hour and a half from Savannah up to the Port Royal Sound area of South Carolina to visit the Fort Fremont Preserve on St Helena Island. It's a place that I've had on my want to visit list for several years, but since their visitors center is only open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and I work most weekends, I hadn't yet found the opportunity to visit. Since I was off, had no plans, and the weather was beautiful, I made a last minute decision to visit. On the radio side of things, it was a beneficial visit because it uncovered a flaw in my radio programming.

Coastal Georgia Military Monitoring Recap; March 2024

Even though several area units were deployed overseas, March was still a terrific month for military monitoring. Several units visited the Combat Readiness Training Center/Air Dominance Center (CRTC/ADC) at Savannah Hilton Head IAP, making up the shortfall of activity from the deployed units. Some of the visiting units participated in an exercise at the CRTC/ADC while they were here. An overnight road trip to Charleston gave me the opportunity to listen to some Charleston area activity. Several good late winter/early spring VHF/UHF band openings (some particularly good ones during the last week of the month) allowed me to listen up into South Carolina and down into Florida beyond my normal range.

History and Nature in Lowcountry South Carolina - Charleston Overnight Road Trip Radio Report; 24/25 March 2024

On Sunday and Monday, I took an overnight road trip to Moncks Corner and Charleston, South Carolina to visit some of the area's historic sites. On Sunday I visited the Biggin Church Ruins and Old Santee Canal Park near Moncks Corner and visited Boone Hall Plantation on Monday before returning to Savannah. I didn't plan it this way because I planned this trip before I read the book, but I just finished reading John W. Gordon's South Carolina and The American Revolution: A Battlefield History before the trip, so Sunday's portion of the trip gave me the opportunity to walk the ground of some of the skirmishes and battles I read about around Biggin Church and at Fort Fairlawn.

Of course, I took the radios along and listened to MilCom/Aviation, FedCom, Public Safety, Marine VHF, and Railroad communications during the trip. As usual, there was no shortage of something to listen to in the Charleston area. VHF and UHF Amateur Radio was more active on Sunday than on Monday (the SCHearts linked repeater network was linked together for the weekend) and I've included a list of repeaters that I heard active during the trip.

Coastal Georgia Military Monitoring Recap; February 2024

February was a continuation of what has been a remarkable first two months of 2024 for military monitoring in Coastal Georgia. Two more units visited the Combat Readiness Training Center/Air Dominance Center (CRTC/ADC) at Savannah-Hilton Head IAP; I can't remember ever having units visit back-to-back-to-back-to-back like we've had in January and February. The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade at Hunter AAF is back up to speed after recently returning from a deployment to Europe and the skies over Savannah are once again filled with CH-47s, UH-60s, HH-60s, and AH-64s. It's also worth mentioning that there were several good VHF/UHF band openings toward Charleston to the north and Jacksonville to the south late the month. It all certainly made for fun listening.