Club Five Six remains open

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Larry Schneck
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Nearly every time the commander of the 56th Force Support Squadron leaves his office to talk with customers, he gets asked the same question, "When are you going to open Club Five Six?"

"Club Five Six is not closed," responds Lt. Col. Rodney Nichols, 56th FSS commander.

Luke Air Force Base officials announced a temporary suspension of regular food service at Club Five Six June 25. The order affected only the food operation. Both lounges remain open. All special events, like Wednesday night bingo, are operating on normal schedules and monthly membership nights, free for club members, return Aug. 26.

"We apologize for the inconveniences these actions may cause our customers, but we hope everyone will understand that we take our commitment to providing a first-class club very seriously," said Col. Phil Darcy, 56th Mission Support Group commander.

Since the announcement by the MSG commander this summer, FSS has struggled against a perception by many club members that Club Five Six isn't operating. Nothing could be further from the truth, according to Colonel Nichols. The reasons people join any Air Force club and continue being a member have not changed.

"We're still providing value for your membership," Colonel Nichols said. "You can use your club card for discounts at a variety of activities."

Club management continues to explore options to ensure club food operations provide quality food and service but does so in a way that allows it to maintain profitability. The objective of any get-well plan will focus on finding a balanced way to serve the community. The FSS commander expects to resume all Club Five Six food service later this fall.

"This is our slow time of the year," Colonel Nichols said. "The majority of our club members are retirees. We're not going to rush things. We will make sure everything we do includes quality food preparation and quality service. If you treat people well, they will return. One of our missions in the FSS is to provide quality of life for all active-duty members, civil service employees, retirees and their family members."

In the meantime, club membership remains a valuable part of active-duty benefits. Members have dozens of opportunities to get discounts around Luke and cash back on every purchase made with the club card.

As the FSS commander tells everyone he meets, "the club remains open and part of Air Force heritage at Luke."