Large Crowds in El Mirage Support New F-35 at Luke Air Force Base

GLENDALE, Ariz. (Feb 25 2010) – West Valley residents are turning out in large numbers this week to show their support in bringing the new F-35 fighter jet to Luke Air Force Base.

Tuesday night’s meeting in El Mirage and last night’s meeting in Surprise each attracted big crowds of approximately 300 people. Luke supporters donning military hats, t-shirts, pins and stickers could be found everywhere at the meetings, which are being conducted by the Air Force to solicit input from citizens in preparation of the F-35 environmental study at the Glendale base.

Based on reports from other communities, such as New Mexico, Utah and Idaho, which are also under consideration to receive the Air Force’s joint strike fighter program, the Luke meetings are drawing record crowds.

“At last night’s meeting in Surprise, there was a line of people waiting to get inside the meeting room,” said Fighter Country Partnership’s Steve Yamamori, whose organization is working with 12 West Valley cities and Maricopa County to bring the F-35 to Luke. West Valley residents and others are showing up in force at these meetings to express their support for the Air Force to bring the F-35 to Luke. This strong support by local citizens is definitely going to send a clear message to decisions makers back in Washington, D.C. that Arizona strongly supports the F-35.”

Based on the criteria the Air Force will use to evaluate sites for the F-35 mission, Luke is well positioned to receive the F-35 and continue to serve as the Air Force’s “school house” for America’s fighter pilots and maintainers.
Local leaders know, however, that until a decision is made, nothing can be taken for granted, and they urge continued strong support from Arizonans statewide.

Luke has been training fighter pilots since 1941, and Arizona features the ideal climate, land, airspace and training rangers – including the Barry M. Goldwater Range in southern Arizona – that cannot be replicated anywhere in the country.

For more information on the public-scoping meetings, which run through Friday, or to register your support for the F-35 at Luke, visit www.LukeForward.com.

CONTACT: Steve Yamamori, Fighter Country Partnership, 623-882-2191

Welcome to Fighter Country

Arizona is our home. It’s where we live, work, and raise our families. It’s also the training ground for the world’s largest Fighter Base. That’s why, for more than a decade, our organization has been dedicated to the men, women, families and mission of the United States Air Force in Arizona. Welcome to Luke Air Force Base. Welcome to Fighter Country.

When the community joins forces with local and state government, the business sector and the military, a strong alliance is developed. A Partnership is formed.

Many people ask, “Why does an Air Force Base need my support?” And “Doesn’t the Government pay for everything?” These are good questions with answers that may surprise you. Although it’s true that the Government does a great job in funding many base functions and programs, with the global war on terror, much of the budget has been reduced. In fact, over the last few years, many Bases have experienced budget reductions of 40% or more over the last few years. This eliminates funding for many events and human services programs. That’s where we come in.

The need to support Luke AFB

As a 2.17 Billion dollar economic engine for the State of Arizona, Luke deserves our attention. When you have the world’s largest Air Force Base in your backyard, you’ve got to protect it. Fighter Country Partnership has done just that locally and in our Nation’s capital for more than 10 years.

Six Critical Reasons to Support Luke

Arizona needs to keep the mission of Luke Air Force Base today, and long into the future. To do that, here are a few things we must be aware of.

Luke Air Force Base has six Critical Mission Elements. Unlike any other Base in the world, Luke has the ability to:

− Land and takeoff in two directions
− Access the Barry M. Goldwater Range with live training munitions
− Fly instrument approaches at the Luke Auxiliary Field #1
− Perform patterns and landings at Gila Bend Auxiliary Air Field
− Access and utilize Gladden/Bagdad Military Operating Areas
− Access Military Training Routes throughout the state

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