LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- At Luke Air Force Base, excellence is not just a value, it is a standard lived out daily by the Airmen who call it home. That standard is exemplified by the base’s three Air Education and Training Command Outstanding Airmen of the Year: U.S Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jacakori Burbank, Luke Honor Guard program manager, Maj. Louis Bloom, 56th Fighter Wing deputy chief of advanced programs, and Gregory Daniels, 56th Training Squadron instructional systems specialist.
Each of these outstanding Airmen have won at the Air Education Training Command level and are competing at the Air Force level. Their stories reflect not just personal success, but a deeper commitment to service, mentorship, and mission.
For Burbank, competing as the Honor Guard Program Manager of the Year, with nearly 20 years of service, his role is much more than a job. As a leader and mentor in the base Honor Guard, he sees his success as a reflection of the Airmen he guides, describing the camaraderie among his team as akin to family. His passion for the Honor Guard fuels that drive, calling it one of the most rewarding roles of his career.
“I’m proud of what the Honor Guard represents,” Burbank said. “The discipline, the community engagement, the high standards. No matter what we’re facing: heat, rain, fatigue. Precision and professionalism come first.”
The physical and emotional demands of the role, from standing motionless in harsh conditions, to representing the Air Force at ceremonies and funerals are only part of the process. His advice to others if they want to succeed is to stay ready, humble, coachable, and committed, which will help you find purpose in your role and keep you going through the hard days.
For Bloom, competing as the Field Grade Officer Category of the Year, the award marks a career highlight and recognition of a collective effort from him and his team.
“Personally, this recognition represents a highlight in my career based on trying to be the best officer and instructor pilot I can be,” Bloom said. “It validates that all the long hours and tough decisions are noticed.”
But he stressed that this achievement is not just his own. It is shared between himself and every instructor, maintainer, and Airman contributing to the wing’s mission: training the world’s greatest fighter pilots and combat-ready Airmen through brilliance at the basics and a championship-team mentality. Additionally, he credits much of his growth to mentorship, especially from Col. Justin Moch, who guided him early in his career.
“He taught me everything about being an excellent fighter pilot, a lead instructor, and a good officer,” Bloom shared. “I lean on him during moral dilemmas and to learn the right tactical and professional ways to accomplish things.”
As an instructor pilot, Bloom’s days are fast-paced and mission-focused, involving flight planning, pre-briefs, multi-aircraft training missions, and detailed post-flight debriefs that can stretch the workday to 12 hours or more. It is an intense rhythm, but one that remains necessary to build combat-ready Airmen. His advice to Airmen: focus on a passion and initiative to find a problem you are genuinely interested in solving and pursue it relentlessly.
For Daniels, competing as the Civilian Non-Supervisory Category III, he credits his success to 53 years of combined active duty and civil service and the wealth of experience it brought. As a contracting officer representative, foreign disclosure officer, and Fighter Wing instructional systems specialist, he wears many hats.
“It’s always my goal to give the very best every day,” Daniels said. “The government gives me a job; why wouldn’t I give 100% of my effort to it?”
Daniels emphasized that excellence is not something you seek for recognition, it is something you practice regardless of who is watching.
“I don’t ask for accolades, but I am proud and surprised to have been selected,” Daniels said.
Daniels advised that to be successful you should become invaluable to your team. Things he listed that help are always being willing to help and find answers, taking on extra responsibilities that are not in your job description, continuously learning, and taking on leadership opportunities.
“When I became an NCO, I learned to represent my supervisor to my Airmen and my Airmen to my supervisor. That responsibility has never changed. Always do your best, even if it is not technically your job,” Daniels said.
Together, Burbank, Bloom, and Daniels represent what it means to serve with integrity, lead with purpose, and uphold the highest standards. Their paths differ, but their commitment is shared: a reflection of Luke AFB’s enduring mission to develop leaders and inspire excellence across every facet of the force.