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148th Fighter Wing participates at Sentry Aloha
October 2, 2006 (by
Lieven Dewitte) -
Air National Guard F-16 pilots from the 149th Fighter Wing in San Antonio, Texas, faced off against Eagle drivers from the host 199th Fighter Squadron at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, in September during a two-week exercise called Sentry Aloha.
The Sentry Aloha sorties took place more than 100 miles offshore, which allowed for training at supersonic speeds and high altitudes.
More than seventy sorties were flown during the exercise. The 149th FW deployed approximately seventy-five pilots and maintainers and six F-16s.
The action pitted six F-16 Fighting Falcons from the former Republic of Texas against F-15 Eagles from the 154th Wing and the state once known as the Kingdom of Hawaii in a 100-square-mile area of restricted air space north of Oahu.
It was all designed to enable the Hawaii Air Guard to operate against different or "dissimilar" aircraft. Fighter pilots will rarely, if ever, oppose aircraft similar to their own in combat; hence, they need to face "dissimilar" fighters in training.
Because there are no F-16s based in Hawaii, the 149th can give theHawaii Guard F-15 pilots an opportunity for dissimilar training. Both units benefit.
TSgt. Gerardo Guevara waits for his F-16 to shut down their engines before conducting his post flight checks at Hickam AFB, Hawaii on September 8th, 2006. Six F-16s from the Texas Air National Guard 149th FW came to Hickam to participate in Exercise Sentry Aloha. [USAF photo by TSgt. Shane A. Cuomo]
More than seventy sorties were flown during the exercise. The 149th FW deployed approximately seventy-five pilots and maintainers and six F-16s.
The action pitted six F-16 Fighting Falcons from the former Republic of Texas against F-15 Eagles from the 154th Wing and the state once known as the Kingdom of Hawaii in a 100-square-mile area of restricted air space north of Oahu.
It was all designed to enable the Hawaii Air Guard to operate against different or "dissimilar" aircraft. Fighter pilots will rarely, if ever, oppose aircraft similar to their own in combat; hence, they need to face "dissimilar" fighters in training.
Because there are no F-16s based in Hawaii, the 149th can give theHawaii Guard F-15 pilots an opportunity for dissimilar training. Both units benefit.
Additional images:
Crew chiefs recover their F-16 after it returned to Hickam AFB, Hawaii from an air to air mission on September 8th, 2006 during Exercise Sentry Aloha. The crew chiefs are from the Texas Air National Guard 149th FW. [USAF photo by TSgt. Shane A. Cuomo]
Tail detail of USAF F-16C block 30 #87-0255 from the 182nd FS parked on the tarmac at Lackland AFB with the special 149th FW markings on the tail. [Photo by Stinger1]
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