Page 9 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt January 2026

Thunderbolt 2025 Year in review January 9, 2026
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Holiday Magic at Luke AFB
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Tekorey Watkins
Military children prepare to light up a Christmas tree with U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland, 56th Fighter Wing commander, Dec. 5, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Holiday Magic is an annual celebration that offers families at Luke AFB a chance to come together and enjoy food, games, and festive activities.
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December
Chaplain’s thoughts ...
Looking forward to the past by unlearning ahead
Chaplain (Maj.) Jesus Prado Individual Mobilization Augmentee
56th Fighter Wing
As a new season unfolds here in Thunderbolt Nation, we stand at a new year and a new intersection of time and purpose. The 56th Fighter Wing is constantly evolving and adapting our tools to better focus on future challenges.
Throughout these ongoing transitions, I offer a spiritual perspective that gives insight into our personal growth and resilience through an initially confusing phrase — looking forward to the past by unlearning ahead. This phrase, while perhaps challenging to grasp at first, speaks volumes about maintaining balance in a high-demand environment. It’s a call to embrace change without losing our foundation.
“Unlearning ahead” isn’t about forgetting history; it’s about having the humility and flexibility to set aside methods, assumptions, or mindsets that no longer foster effectiveness.
Our lives are busy, often driven by routines that we follow without hesitation. Unlearning ahead means deliberately evaluating those routines. It demands adaptability—a core strength for Airmen—making space for new perspec- tives and healthier habits that prepare us for an unknown future.
Simultaneously, we are called to “look forward to the past” by actively seeking to re-embody the timeless values that define us. As we enter the new year, we look to the past not with nostalgia for the good old days, but with in- tentionality, finding inspiration in the enduring principles
of courage, integrity, and service exemplified by those who came before us.
These virtues are our bed- rock. They provide a sense of belonging and greater purpose that sustains us through difficult times and uncertainty.
The tension between past
and future, between innova-
tion and tradition, is where true strength lies. Let us embrace the wisdom to know what to hold onto and the courage to let go of what we no longer need. In doing so, we foster spiritual fitness and resilience, marching forward into this New Year with strong values and an open mind.
Ultimately, this mindset shifts how we approach our daily mission within the Fighter Wing. It requires us to pause and reflect amid the high operational tempo, ensur- ing we are not just busy, but effective and whole.
When we let go of nonessential habits that clutter our minds, we make room for a renewed sense of purpose that is more focused. This is the essence of spiritual resilience— the capacity to remain grounded in an environment where change is constant.
By honoring where we came from while bravely adapt- ing to where we are going, we ensure that we remain the premier force, ready for any challenge as we execute our mission to “Train the world’s greatest fighter pilots and combat-ready Airmen.”
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