Does the military test flares over Eglin Air Force Base Florida?

On Friday night March 21, 1986 myself and two friends were heading east on I-10. It was around 10PM and we were just east of Pensacola, FL when we noticed five strange lights in the southern sky. They hovered at times but also ascended and descended, fading on and off and sort of moving in and out of each other. I saw no smoke or parachutes, nor did I see or hear any military aircraft (though we were close to Eglin AFB). There was no wind to speak of, either. After about fifteen minutes we pulled off the road and observed these lights for almost half an hour. They finally seemed to head further South and disappear out of our sight. Is anyone out there familiar with activities at Eglin that could explain this sighting?