Luke Airmen support inauguration prep

Two 56th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handlers worked presidential support duty side by side with the Secret Service Jan. 15 through 18 in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Md. Senior Airman Charles Wilder and Staff Sgt. Justin Kitts, and their dogs Rex and Mayo, conducted security

ACS launches new radar training initiative

Eight Airmen from different major commands are participating in a 11-week training program here hosted by the 607th Air Control Squadron to teach them a vital part of their career. The program provides hands-on training for the TPS-75 Air Control and Warning long-range radar used by control and

Sergeant volunteers with special organization

The passion Staff Sgt. Amanda Buffington has for volunteering with the Phoenix area Special Olympics is visible all over her face when she talks about her experiences. "The first event I did in 2004 was at the state level," said a grinning Sergeant Buffington, base Special Olympics volunteer

Strongest TBolts muscle way through competition

The 56th Services Squadron held a power lifting competition Jan. 23 in the Luke Air Force Base fitness center. Seven Thunderbolts competed for the titles of Luke's strongest male and female. Nikki Herrington, a family member, lifted 1,330 pounds to take the strongest female title and James Knuckles,

Avionics experts keep F-16s in the skies

When an aircraft comes back from a mission with a broken avionics system, a team of specialists remove and replace the suspect part and get the plane in the air again. But, where does the part go to get fixed? That job falls on the 56th Component Maintenance Squadron's Avionics Intermediate Systems

Hike it up

308th GBG graduation

Today, the 308th Fighter Squadron graduates Class 08-GBG, adding eight new F-16 pilots to our Air Force. Their graduation ceremony is a culmination of nine long months of training in the world's greatest fighter. However, it is not only a major milestone for these young aviators on a personal level,

Bird strike Q&A

US Airways Flight 1549 made national news last week when pilots had to land the jetliner in the Hudson River after both engines went out after an apparent bird strike. Here at Luke Air Force Base, precautions are taken to reduce the likelihood of bird strikes and the Thunderbolt had the chance to

Luncheon brings awareness of King’s message

It would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 80th birthday as Luke Air Force Base celebrated the life of the civil rights leader with a luncheon held at the Desert Star Club on Jan. 15. The event, which was led by master of ceremonies Ben Bruce, 56th Fighter Wing ground safety manager, included

Hero of Hudson River crash landing trained at Luke

The pilot who crash-landed a crippled airliner in New York's Hudson River Jan. 15, saving 155 lives on board, is an Air Force Academy graduate who received his pilot training in the Air Force. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger steered U.S. Airways Flight 1549 toward the river when both engines failed