Page 3 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt, Oct. 6 2017

Thunderbolt NEWS http://www.luke.af.mil
FROM LEFT: Airman 1st Class Alex Akers, 61st Aircraft Mainte- nance Unit crew chief, and Cpl. Jeff Forder, 61st AMU Australian crew chief, stand
in front of an F-35A Lightning II Sept. 14 at Luke Air Force Base. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Australia-U.S. partnership.
100 years of ‘mateship’
October 2017 3 Facebook.com/LukeThunderbolt
IN BRIEF
Retiree Appreciation Day
Retiree Appreciation Day is to acknowledge the service of the veterans in the local metropolitan area, and to inform veterans of the services and activities that are available to them and their dependents. RAD is 8 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 28 at the Naval Operations Support Center, Bldg. 300, at Luke Air Force Base. (Note: If you are a retiree without a current or valid ID card, you may gain access to this event by obtaining a visitors pass at South Gate Visitor’s Center and new ID cards will be issued at the Naval Operational Support Center (NOSC) during the day of the event.)
Exchange lay away
Luke AFB Exchange shoppers can start shopping now while keeping gifts away from prying eyes with fee-free layaway from the Army & Air Force Exchange Service. The Luke Ex- change will waive the $3 service fee for items that are placed on layaway and paid for by Dec. 24 including toys and bikes. Purchases of $25 or more are eligible for the layaway plan. A 15-percent deposit is required to hold items.
Vet clinic
The Luke Air Force Base Veterinarian Clinic is open 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday by appointment only. Services available are wellness exams, vaccines, sick-call examinations, laboratory services, ultrasound, heart-worm test- ing, nail trims, euthanasia procedures, prescription medications, over-the-counter products and more. Services not included are X-rays, surgical procedures or dental cleaning procedures. Ser- vices are for cats and dogs owned by active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard members, and retirees. For more information, call Sgt. Ivan Alburto at 623-856-6731.
Exchange gift wrap program
Luke AFB volunteer groups can raise money by partnering with AAFES during its annual community gift wrap program. The Exchange sets up tables and provides supplies that can be used to wrap gifts during the busy holiday shopping season in exchange for donations. For more information, call Michele Klein at 623-935-2671, ext. 211.
Flightline feasts
The November flightline feast is 11:30 a.m. Nov. 2 and will be served behind Hangar 914.
Health fair
The 56th Medical Group is hosting Launch Into Health, a health fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 6 at Club Five Six. MDG is partnering with TRICARE network providers to share health information. Active-duty service members, family members, and TRICARE beneficiaries who receive medical care from the 56th MDG are invited. Admission is free and includes healthy cooking demos, flu shots, static displays, educational preventive screenings, healthy lifestyle information as well as entertainment for children. Free health screenings will focus on blood pressure, heart rate, height/ weight, body fat, fitness and nutrition. Participants can complete a “preflight health checklist” and become eligible to win prizes.
‘Only Tacos’
“Only Tacos” is open, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, at the front of the Luke Air Force Base Exchange main entrance serving carne asada and chicken adobada tacos and green chile cream sauce. Taco bowls, gringas and combina- tions are also served.
Cultural festival
The West Valley Island Cultural Festival is noon to 6 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Glendale Adult Center at 5970 W. Brown St., Glendale, 85302. The multicultural festival will include live entertainment, a Hawaiian/Tahitian dance competition, prizes and more. Presale or online tickets are $25 per adult, $15 per youth ages 13-19, $10 per child ages 4-12 and children 3 years and under are free. For more information, go to www.wvislandculturalfest.com.
Toastmasters on base
Toastmasters meets noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays in Bldg. 1150, 3rd Floor Conference Room. Improve communication and lead- ership skills through friendly, constructive exercises involving prepared and impromptu speaking, and group leadership. In- structional materials are provided. The cost is $20 to join and $7 per month thereafter. For more information, call Lynne Nutter at 623-856-8711.
Story and photo by Senior Airman JAMES HENSLEY
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Luke Air Force Base hosts several nations for train- ing in both the F-35A Lightning II and F-16 Fighting Falcon. This year is the 100th year that Australia has been partnered with the U.S.
“Few nations boast closer ties than the United States and Australia,” said Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, Australian Defense Force chief. “It’s a friendship based on the struggle for common values and ideals, forged side-by-side in every major conflict over the past century.”
Since the beginning of the 1900s, Australia has fought alongside the United States in battles and wars around the world.
“From World War I, where Australian general Sir John Monash commanded U.S. forces in the Battle of Hamel to the fierce fighting in the Pacific during World War II. On the battlefields in Korea and Vietnam to our contemporary operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria — our mateship has endured and strengthened through combat and cooperation,” Binskin said.
There have been several moments and examples of this throughout the past century.
“One of the greatest examples of mateship between our two countries was when the U.S. came to Austra- lia’s aid and joined our fight against the Japanese in World War II,” said Lt. Col. Darren Clare, 61st Air-
craft Maintenance Unit Australian wing commander. “It is not well known but more Japanese bombs were dropped on northern Australia in February 1942 than on Pearl Harbor just nine weeks prior. Our country was at grave risk of invasion as the Japanese Navy worked its way down the South Pacific. With a fair proportion of Australian forces committed to the fight in Europe, if the U.S. hadn’t help us out, who knows what would have happened. Ever since, we’ve been there for each other and have faced common enemies side-by-side.”
Australia was the first partner nation at Luke to train on the F-35As with Luke Airmen.
“Training alongside U.S. pilots reinforces my belief that our countries have shared values and can rely on each other as true friends,” Clare said. “Training together over the decades has built close bonds, beyond just mutual understanding, and the benefits of our relationship were obvious during my three Middle East deployments and having flown alongside U.S. forces on operations.”
Luke’s mission continues to grow as more countries participate in training. Australia will continue to build the future of airpower alongside Luke Airmen.
“Even today, 65 years after our friendship was for- malized with an alliance, our relationship continues to adapt to contemporary security challenges, like the cooperation between our respective nations as we work together to introduce the fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II aircraft,” Binskin said.
THUNDERBOLT ALMANAC
Fiscal 2018 graduates
21st FS (calendar year).................................. 8 61st FS ............................................................ 0 62nd FS........................................................... 0 63rd FS ........................................................... 0 69th FS ........................................................... 0 309th FS ......................................................... 0 310th FS ......................................................... 0 311th FS ......................................................... 0
314th FS ........................................................ 0 425th FS (calendar year) ............................... 7 550th FS ........................................................ 0 56th TRS ........................................................ 0 607th ACS...................................................... 0 372nd TRS, Det. 12 ....................................... 0 944th OG, Det. 2 ............................................ 0
Hours flown F-35 0.0 F-16 0.0
Sorties flown
0 0
(As of Oct. 1, 2017)
T-Bolts
Deployed around the world.
69 Luke Airmen are deployed to 13 locations