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27 Apr 2007
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month coming up
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the achievements of Asian Pacific American men and women who have made a difference. Asian Pacific Americans consist of more than 24 ethnic groups such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Hawaiian, Vietnamese, Cambodian and Filipino. APAH month was first established in 1977 when
20 Apr 2007
Human weapons system needs healthy lifestyle to perform
Our 56th Fighter Wing people are the best of the best. We do whatever it takes to complete our mission to train the world's greatest F-16 fighter pilots and maintainers, while deploying mission ready warfighters. Doing our job to the Air Force's high standards is tough on the world's most complex, expensive and irreplaceable assets -- you and your
13 Apr 2007
Knowing root cause of disciplinary action help
In 2006, 85 people left Luke before completing their term of enlistment via the administrative discharge process, a 67 percent increase from the previous year. This is a tremendous loss to our wing and Air Force. To counter this loss, Brig. Gen. Tom Jones, 56th Fighter Wing commander, has challenged the wing by setting a goal of reducing Article
6 Apr 2007
Sentimental journey: An Airman's perspective on Heritage to Horizons
As a veteran attendee of more than 50 air shows, I can honestly say that our recent Luke Days was one of the best I've ever attended. Without a doubt, my favorite aircraft on display was the B-17G Flying Fortress. Sadly, only a handful of flyable B-17s remain from the 12,726 built by three manufacturers during World War II. "Sentimental Journey,"
30 Mar 2007
Spikes, enduring band of brothers
The 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit maintains the oldest F-16s in the Air Force inventory while safely generating sorties to produce the greatest fighter pilots in the world. It's an incredible feat and the maintenance professionals in the unit do it with pride and distinction each and every day. The past year characterized adversity for the 195
30 Mar 2007
Thunderbolts support GWOT
The 56th Fighter Wing routinely has approximately 300 Airmen deployed around the world in support of the global war on terror. Though this number represents only about 5 percent of our total active duty force at Luke, the various missions performed by our Airmen down range are critical to the overall objective of putting a stop to terrorism. So
23 Feb 2007
Character of America serves to protect
The 56th Fighter Wing continues to deploy Airmen as we do our part infighting the global war on terror. I was proud and genuinely moved a few weeks ago when the Medical Group deployed our latest team of warfighters. A medical administration team consisting of two officers and four enlisted personnel left Luke for a routine 120 day tour to an
2 Feb 2007
Work, family balance critical to mission success
The warriors assigned to Luke -- Airmen, civilians, active duty and Reservists -- have the distinct honor of defending our great nation. Our mission is vital and accomplishing it comes at no small price in blood, sweat and tears. We earn every bit of the compensation our country gives us, both in respect and money, but we must make sure we balance
28 Dec 2006
Being thankful for everyday life
Today, a Sunday morning, I went for a long run throughmy neighborhood in Litchfield Park, walked into my home and took a long hot shower with clean water. I just read the Sunday newspaper and an editorial page where differing views were offered -- all while enjoying a hot cup of homebrewed coffee and some toast made with fresh bread and jam. After
27 Nov 2006
Be prepared for the unexpected
What do you want to be remembered for? If you passed away unexpectedly, what would your obituary say? Would your family be taken care of financially with a plan for the future? If you are single, will the state you are residing in decide where your belongings go? Or are you prepared and taking care of your responsibilities?This is quite a lot to