56 FW Commander Welcomes AETC Leaders Published Feb. 19, 2008 By Brig. Gen. Tom Jones 56th Fighter Wing commander LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Air Education Training Command commanders and command chiefs -- welcome to Luke Air Force Base, the largest fighter wing in the United States Air Force! It is a pleasure and honor to host all of you in the Valley of the Sun for this year's AETC Commanders' and Command Chiefs' Conference. As you make your way around the installation, you'll have the opportunity to meet many of Luke's finest who are extremely proud of their accomplishments as Thunderbolts and as members of our nation's Air Force. Our Thunderbolts continue to amaze me day in and day out as they accomplish the mission of training the world's greatest F-16 fighter pilots and maintainers, while deploying mission ready warfighters. While you are here, you will witness tremendous professionalism, courage and determination across the 56th Fighter Wing - I cannot remember a week or even a day when the terms "excellent" or "best-of-the-best" were not synonymous with a unit, servicemember or civilian employee. In 2007, the 56th Fighter Wing garnered two Defense Department awards, 15 Air Force-level awards, 63 AETC awards and three prestigious awards from our local community. These achievements, coupled with Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Medal recipients represent the fabric that binds us and proves that Thunderbolts go to great lengths to get the mission accomplished. To illustrate our Thunderbolts' successes, we produced more than 400 pilots and 490 crew chiefs last year while also deploying 465 Airmen in 41 career fields in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. The commitment, sacrifice and dedication of our Airmen represent more reasons why Luke remains a community of excellence. But we couldn't accomplish these successes without the strong partnerships we have with our local communities. Our Luke Days, Air Force Week and annual Retiree Appreciation Day were huge successes for our community last year. Beyond these large events, our Thunderbolts regularly participated in a multitude of community initiatives such as the Fiesta Bowl parade, speaking engagements and volunteer efforts throughout the Valley. Additionally, our Airmen enjoyed the many military appreciation events our communities have to offer. We steadfastly remain engaged with our community leaders as well, and you'll get to meet them during the icebreaker and throughout the course of the week. They are truly anticipating your visit here. Located in the fifth largest metropolitan area in the U.S., Luke is in the heart of it all. It's a great place to be - and I can assure that you will attest to the same. Again, welcome, and on behalf of the 56th Fighter Wing, please enjoy your stay.