Page 1 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt 3-4-16

Train the world’s greatest F-35 and F-16 fighter pilots
INSIDE
STORIES
„ Trip reduction survey, 3
„ SSgt finds right stage, 4
„ Dudette surpasses
milestone, 7
„ Hill’s F-35s, 12
„ Special Olympics
Bball, 19
FEATURE
Thunderbolts celebrate Black History Month
Senior Airman James Hensley by Staff Sgt.
GRACE LEE
TBOLTS RECOVER
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
See Page 10
Thunderbolts gathered to celebrate
INDEX Black History Month Feb. 25 at Luke Air
Force Base to remember the achievements
Action line ............................. 2 made by African-Americans and recognize
Briefs..................................... 3 the central role they played in American
Spotlight ................................ 4 history.
Diversions ........................... 13
Sports.................................. 19 This year’s theme, “Hallowed Grounds:
Sites of African-American Memories” has
QUOTE OF THE WEEK been selected by the Association for the
Study of African-American Life and History.
“At all levels from the commander
to the most junior supervisor, we are After the singing of the National Anthem
responsible for these details. The and the chaplain giving an invocation,
leader cannot and should not attempt attendees partook in a southern-style bar-
to be in all places at all times nor can becue luncheon. Once attendees finished
he be the expert on all facets of the eating, Ben Bruce, 56th Fighter Wing
mission. We do this through leader- ground safety manager and guest speaker,
ship, delegation and trust.” came to the stage.
Lt. Col. Michael Dunn “I have lived the last half of the twentieth
56th Training Squadron century, so for me that half is not really his-
tory because at one point in my life, it was
WEATHER today,” Bruce said. “But the most important
reason I’m here this morning is because I
Today love America.”
86°/56° Bruce continued to explain how the terms
used for African Americans changed with
Sunny time.
“Today, I’m not going to be politically cor-
rect,” he said. “I’m not going to use the term
African-American. See, when I was growing
up I was Negro, then I went south and I
became colored, and then finally I was black
before turning back to African-American —
that’s a lot of changing,” he chuckled. “So
LUKE AFB AIR SHOW29 DAYS
UNTIL THE
March 4, 2016
Senior Airman Devante Williams
what I decided to do was use the term I’m
most comfortable with and that’s black.”
Black History Month is celebrated in the
month of February, Bruce said. The month
allows all Americans to learn about the
history behind the month and remember
the lives of those who made a significant
and positive impact on American society.
“Black history is rich in culture — it’s
art, sports, medicine, literature, educa-
tion and engineering,” Bruce said. “Black
people have contributed immensely in the
American way of life and in every avenue.”
Bruce expounded on famous black Ameri-
cans who served in the U.S. military.
“In 1770, Crispus Attucks was a Negro
sailor who became the first man to die in the my thoughts on black history during the
Boston Massacre,” he said. “Seven Ameri-
cans were killed on the streets of Boston.
This killing fueled the Revolutionary War.
Five thousand men of color served Gen.
George Washington in this war. The British
stormed American shores and several black
soldiers, such as Peter Salem and Caesar
Brown received special commendations
for their actions in the Battle of Bunker
Hill. For the next eight years, all the way
to the Battle of Yorktown, blacks served.
Additionally, 180,000 blacks served in a
nation-shaping event — the Civil War.”
Once Bruce completed sharing military
history, he began to speak of his family
history.
“As a child, I remember my father would
take us to church on Wednesday nights,” he
said. “I watched my father get on the floor,
roll up in a ball and learn how to defend
Use your smartphone to
connect to our website!
Vol. 16, No. 9
Norway hits
100-sortie mark
Lt. Col. Martin Tesli, 62nd Fighter
Squadron Norwegian instructor
pilot, passes his gear to Ello Puga-
Orozco, 62nd Aircraft Maintenance
Unit crew chief, after completing
WKHWKÀ\LQJKRXUPLOHVWRQHDW
Luke Air Force Base Feb. 26. By
2024, Luke is scheduled to have six
¿JKWHUVTXDGURQVDQG)V
1RUZD\ZLOOKDYHVHYHQ)VVWD-
tioned at Luke.
himself against a possible attack. He was
one of the people who participated in sit-ins
at demonstrations during the Civil Rights
Movement. He was also one of the guys
who was called Freedom Riders. Being a
Freedom Rider was extremely dangerous.
They would get on buses, go down south,
and sit at the lunch counter in white res-
taurants and sometimes get arrested by
the police. They were arrested for the act
of civil disobedience, breaking the rules of
segregation. My father said he remembered
getting arrested, going to jail and being
afraid he would not come out alive. That’s
how dangerous it was.”
Bruce shared more personal stories be-
fore coming to a close.
“Thank you for letting me share some of
building of America,” he said. “I’m very
proud of each and every one of you. Re-
member, history makes us smarter, heritage
makes us proud — be proud of yourselves
and your history.”
For one Airman and National Anthem
singer of the event, Black History Month
is a month to be thankful.
“I feel like Black History Month is a time
to reflect and be grateful for what our an-
cestors have done and what they had to go
through to get us to where we are today,”
said Senior Airman Timpson Brittany,
56th Civil Engineer Squadron operations
management journeyman. “It’s also a time
for Americans to learn what the month is
about and how it came to be.”
See PHOTOS, Page 6