It takes a village ...

  • Published
  • By Airman fst Class Devante Williams
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Luke Air Force Base features many services that support the military community. From chaplain services to the education center, the base has much to offer for Luke Airmen.

One service offered on base is the auto hobby shop. The shop offers full-service auto repair and do-it-yourself assistance. Maintenance classes are also available for participants 16 and older. The class goes over basic car care and preventive maintenance, including how to change the oil and filter, tire inspection and much more.

A major retailer on Luke is the base exchange. One thing that makes the exchange unique from off-base stores is the "price match" program.

"If you purchase an item at the exchange and find it elsewhere at a lower price within 14 days, we'll match that price," said Pete Alaniz, exchange general manager. "The exchange is here to take care of our military families."

The exchange also offers tax-free shopping, a perk off-base stores can't offer.

A unique service here at Luke is the 56th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Health and Wellness Center. The HAWC provides various classes to improve one's health including nutrition classes, health and weight management, cooking demos and much more. They also offer tobacco cessation classes. All classes offered at the HAWC are free.

"It's better to visit the HAWC than go off-base," said Sunny Hayes, 56th AMDS health promotion manager. "We have free consultations with a dietitian for active-duty Airmen looking to improve their overall health. Also, the base gym provides free memberships instead of going to an off-base gym, which saves Luke Airmen tons of money."

There is a wide variety of services available on base to enrich the lives of the Luke community.

"There's no doubt that Luke AFB enjoys the support of a large metropolitan city that offers a wide variety of services and events, many of them being 'military friendly,'" said James McCarty Jr., 56th Force Support Squadron Airman and Family Readiness Center chief. "But rarely do you find the blend of mission-oriented and community understanding that base agencies deliver. 'Bang-for-the-buck' and 'cost-benefit' are tests we all use when spending our hard-earned money. So before you take your pocketbook to town, pause a moment and see if your homespun community agencies can deliver."