High Desert Thunder: Sentry Eagle 2025 Marks the End of an Era at Kingsley Field

Story and photos by Steve Lewis

The high desert of southern Oregon is known for its wide-open skies, crisp mornings, and a quiet that seems to stretch for miles. However, for several days this past July, the calm was replaced by the unmistakable sound of military aircraft as Exercise Sentry Eagle 2025 brought Kingsley Field to life.

For Klamath Falls, this year’s exercise carried special meaning. Sentry Eagle 2025 marked the final time the exercise will take place at Kingsley Field with the F-15 Eagle before the base transitions to the F-35A Lightning II. It was both a powerful display of airpower and a farewell to an aircraft that has shaped the identity of the base and the community for decades.

The Basin Comes Alive

As 13 squadrons arrived from across the United States and Canada, the normally tranquil Klamath Basin became a hub of activity. From the sharp roar of F-15s climbing into the sky to the deep, rolling rumble of a B-52 crossing the horizon, Sentry Eagle filled the air with a mix of legendary aircraft and modern capability.

For visiting aircrews, the exercise offered challenging, unfamiliar skies and complex training scenarios. For residents, it was a front-row seat to one of the Air National Guard’s premier training events—right in their own backyard.

Community Support That Made a Difference

Throughout the exercise, community support was nothing short of outstanding. Residents welcomed visiting units, showed patience with increased flight activity, and once again demonstrated the strong bond between Klamath Falls and its Air National Guard mission.

That relationship has been built over generations alongside the F-15 Eagle, flown at Kingsley Field by the 114th Fighter Squadron. The Eagle’s presence—its sound, its silhouette, its reliability—has become part of daily life in the high desert. As the transition to the F-35A approaches, many agree that the F-15s will be deeply missed.

The Final Sentry Eagle with the Eagle

Sentry Eagle has always been about readiness, teamwork, and sharpening skills in realistic scenarios. In 2025, it also served as a salute to the Eagle’s long service in southern Oregon. While the future will bring advanced technology and new capabilities with the F-35A, this exercise provided a meaningful sendoff to an aircraft that has guarded the skies above the basin for decades.

Participating Squadrons

A total of 13 squadrons took part in Exercise Sentry Eagle 2025:
• F-15C/D Eagles — 114th Fighter Squadron, Kingsley Field, OR

• F-15C Eagles — 122nd Fighter Squadron, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, LA
• F-15C/D/EX Eagles II — 123rd Fighter Squadron, Portland, OR
• F/A-18 Hornets — Royal Canadian Air Force, Cold Lake, Alberta

• T-6 Texan II — Laughlin AFB training units, Laughlin AFB, TX
• A-10 Thunderbolt II — Air National Guard Test Units, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ

• B-52 Stratofortress — 93rd Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, LA
• C-130J Super Hercules — 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, AR
• C-17 Globemaster III — 446th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis–McChord, WA

• KC-46 Pegasus — 6th Air Refueling Squadron, Travis AFB, CA
• UH-60 Black Hawk — Oregon Army National Guard, Salem, OR
• 270th Combat Airfield Operations Squadron — Kingsley Field, OR
• 266th Regional Air Navigation Squadron (RANS) — Mountain Home, ID

Looking Ahead

As Kingsley Field prepares for its transition to the F-35A, Sentry Eagle 2025 will be remembered as a milestone moment—one that celebrated the Eagle’s legacy while looking toward the future.

The sound over the Klamath Basin will soon change. However, the pride, partnership, and shared history between Kingsley Field and the community it serves will remain as strong as ever.