Page 12 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt, January 2020

12 January 2020 2019 IN PHOTOS http://www.luke.af.mil Thunderbolt 2019 IN PHOTOS Facebook.com/LukeThunderbolt 13
Thunderbolt
January 2020
http://www.luke.af.mil
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‘Dirt Boyz’ keep infrastructure strong … Work like a dog day … Honor the Fallen: 9/11 Tower SFS Airmen train on weapons … EOD detonates rocket motor …

Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Challenge …
Pedroza, 56th Secu-
rity Forces Squadron
military working dog
handler, familiarizes
Frida, an MWD, with
the sound of gun fire
Aug. 2, 2019, in Sur-
prise. The Surprise
Police Department
partners with the 56th
SFS to use the police
department’s range
for training on a vari-
Airman 1st Class Aspen Reid ety of weapons. Airman Brooke Moeder
A rocket motor, filled with carboxyl-terminated
Airman 1st Class Jacob Wongwai polybutadiene (CTPB), is detonated during a
A firefighter from the Glendale Fire Department Airman Brooke Moeder demolition operation Sept. 12, 2019, at the Barry
Airman Brooke Moeder rings a bell during the 9/11 Tower Challenge Sept. Airman 1st Class Ruth Salgado, 56th Security M. Goldwater Range near Gila Bend. Personnel
Staff Sgt. Robert Newton (left) and Tech. Sgt. Ronnie Jamison, Air traffic controllers maintain safety of pilots … 11, 2019, at the Gila River Arena, Glendale. Par- Forces Squadron installation entry controller, pre- from the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive
56th Civil Engineer Squadron pavements and heavy equipment ticipants rang a bell signifying their completion pares her ammunition for a M249 squad automatic Ordnance Disposal flight at Luke Air Force Base,
operators, use an asphalt road cutter to remove chunks of asphalt Staff Sgt. George Gar- of the 2,071 steps they climbed during the chal- weapon Sept. 4, 2019, at the Arizona Army Nation- detonated two rocket motors, each containing
Aug. 12, 2019, at Luke Air Force Base. Asphalt was removed to rett, 56th Operation Sup- lenge. The steps represented the 110 floors of the al Guard range in Florence, Arizona. Five defend- more than 7,200 pounds of explosives, at the dis-
ease access to an underground valve needing replacement. port Squadron air traffic posal range during a span of two days to see the
controller, writes down World Trade Center that were destroyed during ers fired 1,600 rounds on their assigned weapons
information on a flight the terrorist attacks that occurred Sept. 11, 2001. preparing for an upcoming deployment. magnitude of the explosion.
progress strip in the Air
MWD retires with 9 years of service … Traffic Control Tower July
15, 2019, at Luke Air Force
Base, Ariz. Flight strips are National POW/MIA Recognition Day … 61st FS takes F-35s to Eielson …
used to verify an aircraft’s
flight plan along with re-
cordings of the controller’s
audio communication with
the aircraft. ATCs radio the
pilots, constantly relaying
flight and landing instruc-
tions, weather updates and
Airman Brooke Moeder safety information.

A day in the life of POL …

Airman 1st Class Leala Marquez
Wax, 56th Security Forces Squadron military working dog, re-
cieves a certicate from Maj. Kimberly Guest, 56th SFS command-
er, during his retirement ceremony Aug. 9, 2019, at Luke Air Force Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky
Base. During his time in service, Wax was a critical component in A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II, assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron,
supporting 11 U.S. Secret Service missions helping secure Presi- Airman 1st Class Jacob Wongwai Luke Air Force Base, prepares to land Sept. 6, 2019, at Eielson Air Force
dent Barack Obama, President Donald Trump and foreign leaders Airmen from the 56th Maintenance Group honor former prisoners of war and Base, Alaska. Student fighter pilots from the 61st FS integrated with F-22
attending the 67th United Nations General Assembly, G8 Summit those listed as missing in action during a 24-hour vigil run Sept. 20, 2019, at Luke Raptors assigned to the 3rd Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alas-
and the 2012 presidential election. Air Force Base. During the event, Airmen ran for a 24-hour period while holding a ka, and F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, Eielson
POW/MIA flag as part of National POW/MIA Recognition Day. AFB, as part of a training capstone.

How a strike mission is accomplished …
German air force pilots visit Luke … COMM connects Airmen across Luke …
Senior Airman Tyler
Salter, 56th Equip- Retired German air force Maj. Airman 1st Class
ment Maintenance Gen. Hans Juergen Merkle, for- Andrew Karlson,
Squadron conven- mer commander of the Cactus 56th Communication
tional maintenance Starfighter Squadron, gives Lt. Squadron client sys-
crew chief, inspects a Col. Donald Davenport, 310th tem technician, speaks
GBU-12, an aerial la- Fighter Squadron director of into a base station
ser-guided munition, operations, a Cactus Starfighter radio system at the
Aug. 24, 2019, at Luke Squadron patch Oct. 18, 2019, 56th CS building Oct.
Air Force Base. The at Luke Air Force Base. Former 22, 2019, at Luke Air
56th EMS assembled German air force pilots from the Force Base. The 56th
over 24 inert GBU-12s Cactus Starfighter Squadron, CS is responsible for
as part of the Panther Airman Brooke Moeder which was stationed at Luke maintaining all radio
Beast competition, Airman 1st Class Katlynn Masnyk, 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron distribution fuels from 1958 to 1983 and trained systems used by the
where F-35A Lighting operator, drags a hose after she finishes refueling an F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 309th more than 2,500 German pilots, agencies on base, en-
II pilots faced off to Fighter Squadron Aug. 21, 2019, at Luke Air Force Base. The F-16 is a multi-role fighter air- met with 310th FS pilots to share suring that Airmen can
test their accuracy in craft used in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attacks, as well as to locate targets in all the squadron’s history and alli- communicate effective-
Airman 1st Class Jacob Wongwai dropping munitions. types of weather conditions. Airman 1st Class Leala Marquez ance with the German air force. Senior Airman Caroline Burnett ly and efficiently.