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  • LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. Colonel Timothy Strawther, 56th Operations Group commander, welcomes back to Luke Staff Sgt. Aime Gaona after she received a Purple Heart Dec. 19, after being hit by a sniper’s bullet in her right femur. Sergeant Gaona was a weapons intelligence team member of the 732nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron deployed from Luke to Balad, Iraq. She returned to Luke directly from Andrews Air Force Base via a C-17. She was also welcomed back by Brig. Gen. Tom Jones, 56th Fighter Wing commander, and a crowd of family, friends and co-workers.

    Luke member shot by insurgent

    Although it had only been three months since returning from a year-long tour in Korea, a Luke Airman volunteered for a deployment to Iraq.Staff Sgt. Aime Gaona, 56th Operations Support Squadron intelligence analyst, chose to forego the recuperation period to serve an eight-month deployment at Balad Air Base, Iraq. A weapons intelligence team member
  • Staff Sgt. Joseph Shanks, right, Staff Sgt. Grayson Nagata, center, and Senior Airman Matthew Raesly, 309th Aircraft Maintenance Unit weapons specialists, load an AMA podonto an F-16.

    56th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Maintains Flight

    Without the professionals from the 56th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, the wheels of Luke's F-16s would never lift off the runway. Maintainers of the 56th AMXS ensure safe mission readiness for more than 100 jets used to train the world's finest F-16 pilots. The squadron also trains mission ready Airmen by providing maintainers with advanced
  • Staff Sgt. Darrell Tirpak, 56th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal by the 56th Fighter Wing Commander, Brig. Gen. Tom Jones Dec. 29, 2006.

    Act of courage

    Staff Sgt. Darrell Tirpak, 56th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal by the 56th Fighter Wing Commander, Brig. Gen. Tom Jones Dec. 29, 2006. Sergeant Tirpak, then a senior airman, distinguished himself by an act of courage on Loop 101 in Phoenix, Ariz. on April 11, 2006. On that date, Sergeant Tirpak
  • Honoring a Fallen hero Members of the Caisson Platoon of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, The Old Guard, carry Maj. Troy Gilbert to his gravesite Monday at Arlington National Cemetery, Va. Major Gilbert was the pilot of an Air Force F-16C engaged in support of coalition ground combat operations that crashed approximately 20 miles northwest of Baghdad Nov. 27. Major Gilbert was assigned to the 309th Fighter Squadron and was deployed to the 332nd Expeditionary Wing, Balad Air Base, Iraq.

    Family, friends, Air Force say 'goodbye' to pilot

    Maj. Troy Gilbert was laid to rest Monday at Arlington National Cemetery, in the presence of family and friends at a graveside ceremony. Full military honors and a flyover honored the Luke pilot. On Nov. 27, Major Gilbert was flying an F-16C in direct support of coalition ground combat operationswhen his plane crashed approximately 20 miles
  • Guatemalans stood in line for hours to receive medical care from the Air Force's 16-member medical team.

    Members of 56th Medical Group aid Guatemalans

    Luke's medical professionals traveled to Guatemala Sept. 2 through 16 to perform a humanitarian mission that provided medical care to more than 7,500 Guatemalans. The nine Thunderbolts were a part of a 16-member medical team that included five Airmen from Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas,and two from Lackland AFB, Texas.The specialized team attended

  • Airmen take charge to solve base drunk driving issues

    On Sept. 7, Brig. Gen. Tom Jones, 56th Fighter Wing commander, and Luke's Airmen Against Drunk Driving council president, Senior Airman Jeffrey Dobrow, 56th Component Maintenance Squadron egress, cut the ribbon to signify the beginning of Luke's first program designed to eliminate DUI-related incidents. According to the Arizona Department of Public

  • Luke F-16 crashes on Goldwater Range

    An Air Force F-16D assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron crashed about 8:30 a.m. Monday east of Highway 85 at the Barry M. Goldwater Range in an unpopulated area. At the time of the accident, the F-16 was on a training mission. Two pilots were on board and ejected safely with no injuries. A board of officers will investigate the accident.

  • Vice commander reflects on Iraq experience

    In mid-September Col. David Orr, the 56th Fighter Wing vice commander, returned to his position at Luke, after spending 125 days in the desert. He commanded the 407th Air Expeditionary Group located at Ali Base, the only major U.S. airfield in southern Iraq. The mission of the 407th AEG is to provide coalition tactical airlift support with aerial

  • Cleaner, safer oxygen cleaning system

    Luke has become a test bed for a cleaning system that would not only save the Air Force money and maintenance hours, but could also protect the environment, particularly the ozone. The Oxygen Equipment Cleaning System being tested here cleans the F-16's oxygen system to include the liquid oxygen tanks and internal oxygen airflow system in the jet.

  • Civil Engineering Squadron shines at headquarters

    Air Education and Training Command recently declared the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron the recipient of five 2006 AETC civil engineering awards. "These awards signify the squadron's exceptional performance in the many aspects of Luke's civil engineering," said James Fitzpatrick, 56th CES deputy. "Our men and women have worked hard to maintain
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