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SecAF visits fighter country

  • Published
  • By Justin Oakes
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  It was the Secretary of the Air Force's first visit to Luke Air Force Base, Nov. 18.  The Airmen, facilities and uncommonly moderate weather made quite the first impression.

It's not every day that an Air Force senior leader tours Luke, and Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley was more than eager to speak with Thunderbolts about the latest Air Force issues.

"I've been looking forward to visiting Luke for months," said Secretary Donley. "I wanted to personally meet the people that continue to make lasting contributions to our Air Force."

The meeting began with earnest words of appreciation from the secretary by congratulating Airmen on their many accomplishments.

Among the mentioned accolades were the "excellent" rating received on this year's command unit compliance inspection, Air Force Outstanding Security Forces Award, energy conservation efforts and the base tire shop benchmarking of AFSO21 initiatives.

The secretary also mentioned that Luke is home to heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. Maj. Troy Gilbert, F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot, who was killed in Iraq, and Master Sgt. Randy Gillespie, 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels NCO in-charge, who died in Afghanistan during a small arms battle, were both honored.

The acceleration of retiring legacy fighters and introduction of the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 was another topic of conversation.

The secretary acknowledged that Luke is a candidate on the short list for the F-35, and noted that while it will be years before the F-35 is fully delivered, it is the aircraft of the future.

"We know that the F-35 is the future work-horse for fighter aircraft. The plan is to convert legacy fighters into a smaller and more flexible fleet."

By the end of 2010, the Air Force plans on retiring between 240 and 250 aircraft - 134 of which are F-16s and of that, 28 aircraft specifically from Luke.

In regard to supporting overseas activities, the secretary confirmed the Air Force's priorities.

"All of our efforts are focused on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan," Secretary Donley said. "We are closely partnered with the Army as we draw down our forces in Iraq, and diligently continue to enhance relationships with leaders in Afghanistan. It's critical to the success of local security to train-up the Afghanistan air force and security forces."

Currently, Luke has approximately 400 Airmen deployed across the globe supporting the mission.

Secretary Donley concluded his visit by saying, "it's an exciting time to be in the Air Force, and these challenges bring new opportunities. It's an honor for me to serve with you in the world's best Air For‬ce."