Base prepares for another exercise Published Aug. 12, 2008 By Maj. Miki Gilloon 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Luke Thunderbolts will put their skills to the test during a 56th Fighter Wing exercise slated for August 18 through 22. The exercise will test Luke's deployment capabilities, Ability to Survive and Operate, as well as emergency response and force protection. "The training scenarios in this exercise simulate actual conditions our Luke Thunderbolts may face in combat, and conducting these exercises will keep their war-fighting skills honed," said Staff Sgt. Jose Negron, 56th Fighter Wing Inspector General Inspections and Evaluations NCO in charge. Although Luke's next command-level readiness inspection is not until 2009, the wing's mission of deploying mission-ready war fighters to fill deployment requirements worldwide does not stop. Because of this, the 56th Fighter Wing holds regularly scheduled readiness exercises to ensure that when the call comes down for Thunderbolts to deploy, they are ready. "It's essential that we practice like we play," said Master Sgt. Russell Fowler, 56th Fighter Wing Inspector General Exercise Evaluations superintendent. "To do that, we must constantly train and evaluate to make sure our Airmen are ready to deploy when it's time." The last exercise, which was held in May, resulted in several findings which wing leadership is hoping to remedy this time around. "We came across several flightline and base gate security infractions, uncertainties about alarm condition actions during the ability-to-survive-and-operate exercises and some other areas we hope to fix," Sergeant Fowler said. Furthermore, there was a need for more familiarization with some chemical warfare suit requirements, as well as accountability for the contents in mobility bags and folders. Base leadership plans to continue these readiness exercises regularly to ensure compliance and to always make sure Thunderbolts are ready to deploy.