Page 1 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt, March 2021
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“We train the world’s greatest fighter pilots and combat ready Airmen”                                                                 March 2021
                                                                                                                                                  Vol. 20, No. 3


               INSIDE                                                                                                                    Members from the
                                                                                                                                         607th Air Control
                                                                                                                                         Squadron recite the
                                                                                                                                         Oath of Office during
                                                                                                                                         a ceremonial swear-
                                                                                                                                         in, Feb. 5, at Luke Air
             StorIES                                                                                                                     Force Base. This cer-
                                                                                                                                         emony officially ends
             Air Force allows hairstyle                                                                                                 their service in the Air
               changes, 2                                                                                                                Force, transferring
             Prevailing through trying                                                                                                  them to the U.S. Space
               times, 3                                                                                                                  Force. This interser-
             Celebrating 80 years of                                                                                                    vice transfer ceremony
               training, 3                                                                                                               marks the final step in
             ALS grads, 4                                                                                                               a nine-month process
             Air Force focuses on                                                                                                       for these Airmen to be-
               resiliency, 5                                                                                     Airman 1st Class Caleb F. Butler   come Guardians.
             Some tour lengths increase, 5
             F-15EX first flight, 6
             Red Flag, 8/9                    Space Force swears in newest members
             Officer promotion board
               change, 10
             Chaplain’s thoughts, 12
                                                      by Airman 1st Class             The ceremony marks the final step in   transfer to the (Space Force) in techni-
                                                        CALeB BuTLeR                 a nine-month process for seven Airmen   cal school,” said Airman 1st Class Caleb
                                                                                     to become Guardians.                 E. Cirre, 607th  Air Control Squadron
                                                      56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
                                                                                      On May 1, 2020, the Air Force Person-  cyber transport systems specialist. “My
                                                 From “Always  Ready”  to “Always    nel Center directly emailed all person-  supervisors not only encouraged me to
                                               Above,”  Airmen from the 607th  Air   nel who were within an eligible Air Force   apply, but they helped me through the
                                               Control Squadron participated in an   Specialty Code announcing the transfer   process.”
              Continue to get Luke’s latest    inter-service transfer that moved them   application window was open, directing   According to Cirre, transferring be-
               news and information from       from the United States Air Force into   them to an online process to submit their   tween branches was a bit unnerving, es-
               these sources: https://www.     the United States Space Force Feb. 5,   application.                       pecially so early in his Air Force career.
               aerotechnews.com/lukeafb/       at Luke Air Force Base.                “I was told that I was eligible to
                 https://www.luke.af.mil                                                                                                       See USSF, Page 12
                   and social media
                                  @LukeAFB Going virtual; adapting to new normal to celebrate success
                  Luke56thFW
                Date of publication                       by Tech. Sgt.              to find a way to recognize our outstanding
                  First Friday                           NeSToR CRuz                 Airmen and the best way, it turned out,
                                                                                     was through virtual means.”
                    of the month                      944th Fighter Wing Public Affairs  The 944th Mission Support Group was
                                                 Orchestrating this year’s annual awards   the lead for this year’s annual awards
               Submission deadline             ceremony presented the unique challenge   ceremony and they hit the ground run-
            15th day of the month              of putting together a public event during   ning. They began planning for a normal
           prior to date of publication        a time of social distancing.          banquet, but along the way the plan kept
                                                 944th Fighter Wing Reserve Citizen
                                                                                     evolving based on the coronavirus trans-
                Veterans                       Airmen came together to plan what is   mission rates.
                                               normally a major social event for the unit,
                                                                                       “As COVID-19 cases spread and went up
                                               while keeping health safety measures in   again, the plan had to adjust,” said Capt.         Master Sgt. Louis Vega Jr.
                   Tell us Your Story          mind.                                 Kayla Hooser, 944th MSG executive officer   Capt. Monique Roux, 944th Fighter Wing
             Active-duty, Reserve, Retirees      “We are very proud of our members’   and lead planner for this year’s annual   Public Affairs chief and Senior Airman
           All military branches are included  accomplishments and we were not going   awards ceremony. “Since our Geographi-  Jed Morgan, 944th Force Support Squad-
            Email name, phone number and a     to let the COVID-19 pandemic and the   cally Separated Units couldn’t travel to be   ron client systems technician, work
           brief description of your service to  imposed limitations stop us from recogniz-  part of the event, and gathering in a large   together during the production of the
                amy@aerotechnews.com           ing our Airmen,” said Col. Jim Greenwald,                                  virtual 944th Fighter Wing Annual Awards
                                               944th Fighter Wing commander. “We had                  See VirTUAL, Page 12  Ceremony.









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