Page 3 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt – December 2025

Thunderbolt News December 5, 2025 3 http://www.luke.af.mil Facebook.com/LukeThunderbolt
Dutch officers visit Luke for pilot graduation
By Senior Airman Elias Carrero
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force Brig. Gen. Marcel van Egmond, RNLASF Air Combat Command commander, and Brig. Gen. Peter Tankink, Joint Force Command Brunssum assistant chief of staff, attended a pilot graduation at the 308th Fighter Squadron and observed multinational train- ing operations on Sept. 26, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.
Training at the 308th has been a model for multinational cooperation since 2018, when the World War II squadron was reactivated to begin providing advanced instruction to United States, Danish, and Dutch F-35 pilots. During their visit, the Dutch officers toured the squadron to see firsthand how U.S., Danish, and Dutch pilots train together and integrate in complex operational sce- narios.
“We are known for having well trained and skilled pilots,” said Tankink. “That reputa- tion starts here at Luke.”
Luke AFB, home to the 56th Fighter Wing, hosts pilots from six partner nations across eight fighter squadrons. The wing empha- sizes building on fundamentals, fostering readiness, and promoting a culture of lethal- ity; principles that underpin every pilot and Airman’s training and daily operations.
“The fighter pilots we graduate at Luke, US and Allied, rely on our training to be lethal and ready in the battlespace,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland, 56th Fighter Wing commander. “We all train together to be prepared to make critical split- second decisions in the real-world fight.”
These lessons learned during multina- tional training extend beyond the flight
Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force Brig. Gen. Marcel van Egmond, RNLASF Air Combat Command commander, prepares to give a briefing during a base visit, Sept. 26, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Van Egmond visited
Luke to attend a pilot graduation at the 308th Fighter Squadron and observe multinational training operations.
line. Dutch pilots trained at the 308th FS recently applied these lessons in a coordi- nated air defense operation with Poland on the night of Sept. 9-10, 2025, resulting in the downing of multiple Russian drones by Dutch F-35s over Polish airspace.
“Two former B-Course students trained
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland (right), 56th Fighter Wing commander, speaks with Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force Brig. Gen. Marcel van Egmond (center), RNLASF Air Combat Command commander, and Brig.
Gen. Peter Tankink (left), Joint Force Command Brunssum assistant chief of staff, during a base visit, Sept. 26, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland (left), 56th Fighter Wing commander, speaks with Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force Brig. Gen. Marcel van Egmond (right), RNLASF Air Combat Command commander, and Brig. Gen. Peter Tankink (center), Joint Force Command Brunssum assistant chief
of staff, on the flight line during a base visit, Sept. 26, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.
U.S. Air Force photos by Senior Airman Elias Carrero
at the 308th shot down drones as a part of an air policing mission,” said Van Egmond. “The timing, coordination, and decision mak- ing they demonstrated while operating in a joint mission was critical to their success.”
This was not the first time Dutch F-35s had scrambled in Poland in response to
Leadership from the U.S. Air Force and Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force tour an F-35A Lightning II during a base visit, Sept. 26, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. During the visit, Dutch officers toured the 308th Fighter Squadron to see firsthand how U.S., Danish, and Dutch pilots train together and integrate
in complex operational scenarios.
Russian projectiles posing a threat to NATO territory. But it was the first time that The Netherlands has had to use force to neutral- ize the present threat, marking a significant milestone in the Dutch F-35 program.
“The fact that we acted as NATO and stood together is important,” said Van Egmond. “We utilized lessons learned and best practices from our previous air policing missions to guarantee success.”
At the 308th FS, pilots learn to integrate with U.S., Danish, and Dutch counterparts, training and practicing together in proxim- ity. Then as a part of the 56th FW, they learn to work with four additional partner nations. Pilots bring all their lessons learned into real-world operations, such as the Nether- lands-Poland air policing partnership, show- ing Luke’s push to train for lethality leaves a footprint on international air defense.
Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force Brig. Gen. Marcel van Egmond (left), RNLASF Air Combat Command com- mander, speaks with U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland (right), 56th Fighter Wing commander, during a base visit, Sept. 26, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Berkland (left), 56th Fighter Wing commander, Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force Brig. Gen. Peter Tankink (center left), Joint Force Command Brunssum assistant chief of staff, Brig. Gen. Marcel van Egmond (center right), RNLASF Air Combat Command commander, and Lt. Col. Joseph Luijsterburg (right), 308th Fighter Squadron Dutch detachment commander, stand in front of an F-35A Lightning II on the flightline during a base visit, Sept. 26, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Tankink and Van Egmond visited Luke AFB to attend a pilot graduation at the 308th Fighter Squadron and to see firsthand how U.S., Danish, and Dutch pilots train together and integrate in complex operational scenarios.