Spouses tour Luke

  • Published
  • By Deborah Silliman Wolfe
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The 56th Fighter Wing underwent a number of leadership changes this summer. To help familiarize spouses of some of the new leaders on base with the Luke Air Force Base community, Nola Billups, 56th Fighter Wing chief of protocol, put together a tour featuring all the services agencies on base. 

"Mrs. Neubauer wanted to help other spouses get to know what Luke has to offer, so we decided to do a tour for the spouses of the new group commanders, wing command chief, and command chiefs from the various groups," Mrs. Billups said. "We wanted to make them more familiar with the service side that Luke offers." 

Debi Schaub, wife of Col. George Schaub, 56th Operations Group commander, arrived at Luke on June 25 and decided to take the tour to refresh her knowledge of the base from a previous assignment. 

"Last time we were stationed here was in 1994 to 95," she said. "I wanted to be able to speak knowledgeably about the facilities and resources available here when I meet families and individuals new to the area. I enjoyed seeing so many improvements to the 'quality-of-life' facilities -- from the dormitory areas and dining facility, to the child development center and youth activities areas." 

One of the highlights of the tour was visiting the Ray Hensman dining facility, Mrs. Billups said. 

"We walked in just as the Airmen were in the kitchen cooking getting ready for the lunch crowd, so the spouses got to see firsthand the preparatory stages that all the food goes through before it gets served to our Airmen," Mrs. Billups said. 

The spouses also visited McViper's Irish Pub, the commissary, community center, base library, information, tickets and travel, Airmen and Family Readiness Flight, arts and crafts, and outdoor recreation during the tour. 

Michelle Helms-Raper, wife of Chief Master Sgt. Randy Raper, 56th Fighter Wing command chief, arrived at Luke Oct. 12 and decided to take the tour as well, at the invitation of Mrs. Neubauer. Mrs. Helms-Raper is a former Air Force broadcaster whose father is an Air Force veteran who retired in Phoenix, so coming to Luke brought back childhood memories. 

"Coming back here is kind of like coming home," she said. "And it's great getting to see how much Luke has grown and evolved to adapt to our changing world, the Air Force mission, and the needs of the people who are serving, while still taking care of those who served before us." 

The tour ended at the commissary and according to Mrs. Billups, it was a smashing success. 

"We got rave reviews, and it was great to be able to present to the spouses services that they were unaware of," she said.