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Train the world’s greatest F-35 and F-16 fighter pilots March18, 2016
Vol. 16, No. 11
INSIDE
StorIES
SecAF visits Luke, 3
MPOY awards, 4
CONS exercise, 6
Blood drive, 7
Tres Rios, 13
Holy week, 15
15 days
until the
Luke afB
aIr Show
Celebrating Staff Sgt. Darlene Seltmann
75 years
Luke Air Force Base members and local media witness the arrival of Luke’s first F-35 Lightning II March 14, 2014. Monday
of air power marked the two-year anniversary of the F-35 at Luke. For more photos, see Page 12.
INDEx Two-year anniversary since Lightning struck Luke
Action line ............................. 2 by Staff Sgt. FW chief of safety, started out as an F-35 test utilize our expertise in training, airspace,
Briefs..................................... 3 MARCY COPELAND pilot in 2008 and became the first active- ranges, weather and infrastructure of the
Spotlight ................................ 4 duty Air Force fighter pilot to surpass 500 West Valley and catapult the Air Force
Diversions ........................... 16 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs flight hours in the F-35. His first two years and our F-35 partner nations into the
Sports.................................. 19 in the program were primarily focused on fifth generation strike platform training
This month marks the two-year anniver- planning and designing future course mate- environment,” Hayden said. “At even the
quotE of thE wEEk sary of the unveiling of the first F-35 Light- rial, with much time spent in the simulators early stages of Luke’s F-35 training you can
ning II to arrive at Luke Air Force Base. and meetings with engineers. already see the far-reaching impact on the
“One of the most important steps Air Force and the entire F-35 enterprise.”
in traumatic brain injury treatment The arrival of the F-35 ushered in a new “My first flight didn’t happen until 2010.
is rest, which allows the brain to era of operational and mechanical training It was a very smooth transition because The F-35 is expected to be in service for
physically and mentally recover, for the base whose primary mission for the of all the time and preparation that went the next 40 to 50 years. Hill AFB, Utah, and
and removes the risk of suffering past 34 years has been to train the world’s into my first flight,” Hayden said. “So, as I Eglin AFB, Florida, are both scheduled to
another concussion while the brain greatest F-16 pilots. concluded the mission that pushed me over reach initial operational capability in 2016.
is healing.” the 500-hour mark earlier this year, I felt
“The F-35 will be the backbone of future blessed to have had an opportunity to be It takes thousands of Airmen, both on
Karen Guice, M.D., M.P.P. joint and combined air operations,” said involved in the program in various stages and off the flightline, to support the critical
Principal Deputy Assistant Secre- Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus, 56th Fighter Wing and in different roles. I’m excited there are mission of training the world’s best F-35
tary of Defense for Health Affairs commander. “As the F-35 draws closer to so many of my fellow pilots at Luke who are pilots. Pleus is proud to have watched his
reaching initial operating capability, we very close to the same personal milestone team actively take on this new mission and
wEathEr will continue to train with our partners to in their F-35 flying experience, but also drive it forward into the future.
operate seamlessly as a team in theatre. excited to see the program blossom with
Today Luke will carry on the vital role of produc- so much success.” “We’ve taken tremendous steps forward
ing the world’s greatest, and most lethal, the last two years developing the joint
89°/55° F-35 fighter pilots.” After watching the F-35 program evolve strike fighter program and made history as
over the past eight years Hayden says he we hit important milestones for the F-35,”
Sunny Since its initial arrival, the F-35 program thinks the future of the F-35 program at Pleus said. “From training our first class
has grown rapidly. Over the last two years Luke is promising and exciting. of F-35 student pilots, to welcoming new
6,100 flight hours and 4,125 sorties have international partners at Luke, the hard
been flown. There are currently 35 F-35s “Training fighter pilots has been the work and ingenuity of our Airmen, and the
at Luke with 144 scheduled to be on the cornerstone of the Luke mission for years, overwhelming support of the community
ramp by 2024. and the transition to the F-35 enables us to has made these successes possible.”
One pilot, Lt. Col. Matthew Hayden, 56th
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