Page 8 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt August 2016

August 2016 NEWS Thunderbolt
http://www.luke.af.mil
8 www.aerotechnews.com/lukeafb

Florida Estonia South Korea

A special operations surgical team More than 200 NATO service members The Air National Guard is frequently called
assigned to the 720th Special Tactics recently gathered at Tapa Training Base upon when U.S. Pacific Command needs
Group at Hurlburt Field worked to to close out Saber Strike 16, a multina- additional assets to deliver rapid air capa-
save the lives of two critically burned tional theater security cooperation exer- bilities in the Pacific region, and Airmen
fishermen rescued 500 miles off the cise. The exercise was held in multiple from the 148th Fighter Wing out of Duluth,
coast of Bermuda. The fishermen locations throughout Estonia, Latvia and Minnesota, stepped up to fulfill a theater
had been stranded when their vessel Lithuania. security package requested by PACOM
caught fire. and Pacific Air Forces.
Gabon

Delivering a global response force is
something 62nd Airlift Wing Airmen
practice regularly, but it was recently
brought to the African continent for
exercise Central Accord 2016. Nearly
1,000 participants from 14 countries
participated in a command post and
field exercise near Libreville.

Luke honor guardsmen get relief from AZ sun

Story and photo by Airman 1st Class Senior Airman Kyle Morrison, 56th Operations Support Squadron, and Airman 1st Class Matthew Green,
PEDRO MOTA 56th EMS AGE, practice a ceremonial flag fold July 7 at Luke Air Force Base. Flag folds are performed to
honor those who have fallen and those who have retired from the military.
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. — Luke Air Force Base
Honor Guard members are getting relief from the Arizona heat
from sunshades that were installed June 10 outside the honor
guard building.

Honor guardsmen train for hours daily to maintain a high level
of professionalism for funerals, ceremonies and presentation of
colors. Installation of the sunshades has given honor guardsmen
the ability to practice longer while helping them to sharpen focus.

“When the sun is beating down on you, you tend to focus on
the heat and how hot you are, making it dif cult to focus on
the task at hand,” said Senior Airman Ryan Baez, 61st Aircraft
Maintenance Unit crew chief and lead honor guardsman. “With
these sunshades, guardsmen can be outside longer and train more
effectively for three to four hours at a time without the risk of
becoming a heat casualty.”

Training is crucial for new Airmen replacing honor guardsmen
who have completed their commitment to the honor guard and
returned to their units.

“Without the shades, training sessions performed while in direct
sun were limited to 20 to 30 minutes before stopping for water
breaks,” Baez said. “That would be pushing it if the temperature
exceeded the norm and became extreme. Training as a rookie
takes eight hours a day outside for the rst two weeks. With
sunshades, it is now possible to do all year long.”

Once a guardsman passes rookie month, the of cial journey
begins.

“When honor guardsmen are able to get the training they
need, they are able to present themselves professionally in those
special and meaningful ceremonies,” said Airman 1st Class Mat-
thew Green, 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron Aerospace
Ground Equipment apprentice and honor guard ight trainer.
“Sometimes these ceremonies are the only look people get of the
military, so performing at our best is crucial to leaving a profes-
sional and respectful image of the United States Air Force.”