63rd FS graduates nine fighter pilots

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Jeffrey Lovelace
  • 63rd Fighter Squadron commander
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The 63rd Fighter Squadron "Panthers" welcomed class 07-BBG to Luke Dec. 11, 2006. These nine aviators hailed from all parts of the country, but had one goal in mind -- to become "world-class F-16 fighter pilots." 

When I read the 63rd's mission statement, the words fighter pilot stand out, and makes me think about recent military events. I began writing this article with the mindset of the usual verbiage; "countless hours of academics and study, demanding flying syllabus, etc." I hope everyone appreciates how challenging it is to become an F-16 pilot in the U.S. Air Force. 

I've struggled through the two year process before I became a "Viper driver." It's hard -- damn hard. I think about the people we've lost in the community in recent months. In November 2006, Maj. Troy Gilbert was fatally wounded while supporting ground forces in Iraq. He was a Luke asset and a great man. On June 15, 2007, Maj. Kevin onnenberg, 112th Fighter Squadron, Toledo Air National Guard, Ohio, died in a crash shortly after takeoff from Balad Air Base, Iraq. The details of that combat loss are still unknown. The day before we lost Maj. Sonnenberg, our country lost another great man. He wasn't a "Viper Driver," but Brig. Gen. Robin Olds was a fighter pilot in the truest sense of the words. 
 
Commissioned in 1943, and assigned to the European theater. Gen. Olds flew 107 combat missions in P-38 Lightnings and P-51 Mustangs. He was a triple ace, with 13 kills in WWII, and another four while flying F-4s as the commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing "Wolf Pack," during the Vietnam War. He was the architect of operation bolo, widely regarded as the single most successful air battle of the Vietnam War. He was larger than life, married to a movie star and close friends with Hollywood legends like John Wayne. He was revered by the warriors he led and reviled by some who alued appearances more than combat capability. 

My job is not simply to train F-16 pilots, but to create fighter pilots. There is a difference. What sustains me in that charge is the sacrifice and incredibly rich heritage in the life of gentlemen like, General Olds. What also sustains me is the incredible talent and dedication of our nation's finest -- the men and women who walk into the Panther fighter squadron every 6 months to learn how to fly the finest multi-role fighter this
planet has ever seen.
 
The nine men in Class 07-BBG possess the same ideals that motivated so many past warriors, enabling them to launch into formidable enemy forces and impossible situations in the name of freedom, not glory. 

It saddens me sometimes to think the American people have lost their stomach for war. And I wonder what they think is actually worth fighting for. To many, war is supposed to be antisepticand surreal. Men like RobinOlds, Troy Gilbert and Kevin Sonnenberg knew war isn't likethat, yet they strapped on theirmachines and brought fury tothe enemy. It was their mission,and they believed in it withevery fiber of their being. 

Our heritage is important toour service. I heard some peopleat Luke say they didn't know who Robin Olds was. That's a shame. As Airmen, we all share blame for that. I said before that my job is to create fighter pilot -- and I can't do my job without each and every Thunderbolt in the 56th Fighter Wing. It is the responsibility of each of us to know our fallen heroes and what they endured. Casting a humble eye to our past is not only a nice idea, it is who we are. 

Nine "Panthers" will walk across the stage tomorrow night at Club Thunderbolt to receive their graduation certificates. While graduation from Luke closes one chapter for America's newest F-16 pilots, it is only the beginning of another much more
demanding and exciting one. 

I could tell you details about 07-BBG's rigorous flying training, their trials and tribulations therein. But I think I am going to defer to them. You have their picture in the Thunderbolt. If you see them around the base, ask them what they have gone through. Ask them if the 63rd FS has made them fighter pilots. Then ask them if they know who Robin Olds was. If they light up and tell you a bit of trivia, they may, indeed, be world class fighter pilots.