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Train the world’s greatest F-35 and F-16 fighter pilots March 25, 2016
Vol. 16, No. 12
INSIDE
STORIES
Women’s History
luncheon, 3
F-35 IP receives award, 4
Tohono O’odham Nation, 5
Parenting, 6
Luke Air Show, 10
8 days
until the
Luke AFB
AIR SHOW
Celebrating A 62nd Fighter Squadron F-35 Lightning II successfully employed four laser-guided bombs March 15 on the Barry M. Goldwater
75 years 5DQJHWKH¿UVWZHDSRQVUHOHDVHE\)VIURP/XNH$LU)RUFH%DVH
of air power Luke F-35s drop first weapons
INDEX Story and photo by and successfully employ air-to- our partner nations. Dropping hadn’t flown a single F-35 sortie
Staff Sgt. ground weapons,” said Lt. Col. full-scale munitions are a sig- here,” Gregory said. “Now we’ve
Action line ............................. 2 Gregory Frana, 62nd Fighter nificant step forward for Luke’s flown more than 4,000 sorties,
Briefs..................................... 3 STACI MILLER Squadron commander. “As we instructors and students.” trained pilots from the U.S.,
Spotlight ................................ 4 execute the mission of training Australia, Italy and Norway,
Diversions ........................... 20 WKÀJKWHU:LQJ3XEOLF$IIDLUV the world’s greatest F-35 pilots This new capability gives all and are executing training for
Sports.................................. 23 it is critical we make our train- of Luke’s F-35 instructor and the software that will provide
The F-35A Lightning II pro- ing as realistic as possible.” student pilots an opportunity the IOC for the U.S.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK gram took another step toward to experience realistic training.
initial operational capability Maj. Matthew Strongin, 62nd This mission follows the Feb.
“Good communication is a key ele- March 15 when two aircraft Fighter Squadron weapons “All of our instructor pilots 25 employment of laser-guided
ment of successful organizations. As assigned to the 62nd Fighter chief, was one of two pilots who will have the opportunity in bombs by combat-coded F-35As
leaders, managers or supervisors, Squadron successfully em- employed the GBU-12s at the the coming weeks to experience from the 388th Fighter Wing at
we’re sometimes so focused on com- ployed four laser-guided bombs range. weapons employment from the Hill AFB, Utah, and the March
municating the “what” or the “how” on the Barry M. Goldwater aircraft,” Strongin said. “Also, 3 employment from the 33rd
that we fail to explain why the work Range. “The training focus at Luke every graduate will experience Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB,
someone is doing is so important. has shifted,” Strongin said. dropping a 500-pound bomb Florida.
This marked the first weap- “The previous years centered before leaving here.”
Col. Todd Osgood ons release by F-35s assigned to on building an instructor pi- The 56th FW serves as the
379th Expeditionary the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke lot cadre. We are now focused Luke celebrated the two year primary training facility for the
Air Force Base. on producing combat capable anniversary of receiving the F-35A, training U.S. Air Force
Medical Group warfighters for front-line fighter F-35 one day before the weap- pilots as well as pilots from
“Today we were able to ex- squadrons in the Air Force and on’s drop. partner nations.
WEATHER ecute one of the primary mis-
sions of this multirole fighter “Two short years ago we
Today
For air show details, go to luke.af.mil Use your smartphone to
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Sunny
