Luke Forward received the Special 20th Anniversary Best of the West award Thursday night at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel as WESTMARC celebrated its 20th annual awards presentation. Co-chairs, retiring Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs and Charley Freericks, president of DMB, accepted the award on behalf of all those involved with the Luke Forward campaign, including the cities of El Mirage, Surprise, Peoria, Youngtown, Tolleson, Litchfield Park, Goodyear and Avondale. Luke Forward helped secure that Luke Air Force Base would serve as the Air Force’s new F-35 training center. It was Scruggs’ idea was to make Luke Forward a “grassroots campaign.” El…
Luke Forward received Westmarc’s Special 20th Anniversary Best of the West Award for championing one of the West Valley’s biggest accomplishments — Luke Air Force Base landing the F-35 training center.
The region’s biggest awards were given during a banquet Thursday at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel attended by about 500. Westmarc, a coalition of business, government, education and community-group leaders that lobbies on behalf of the West Valley, launched the awards program two decades ago to promote outstanding contributions to the West Valley.
By CAROLYN DRYER The weather was just one factor in the selection of Luke Air Force Base by the Department of Defense as a training center for the fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-35 Lightning II. The Department of Defense released its Record of Decision and Wednesday afternoon, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley announced Luke had been chosen. The base will receive 72 aircraft for a total of three fighter squadrons. Luke AFB met with the media at a last-minute press conference Wednesday. Col. Robert Webb, Vice Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, and Rusty Mitchell, Director of Community Initiatives at Luke, stood…
WE DID IT – THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO SUPPORTED LUKE FORWARD!!!
GLENDALE, Ariz. – After spending nearly three years building regional and statewide community support for the new F-35 mission at Luke Air Force Base, Luke Forward officials are thrilled with today’s announcement from the Department of Defense that the Glendale base will serve as the Air Force’s new F-35 training center.
The Air Force’s decision to station 72 F-35s for the training of both U.S. and foreign pilots, with the potential to add more F-35 squadrons in the near future, reaffirms an ongoing commitment by the Air Force to the long-term viability of Luke AFB.
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Luke Air Force Base remains the Air Force’s preferred location for its new F-35A training center, according to a final environmental report released this week by the Department of Defense.
The 1,000-page report, referred to as the final environmental impact statement (EIS), provides an in-depth analysis on the environmental and operational aspects on the proposed basing of the
F-35A training center at Luke, as well as at three other alternative basing locations being studied.
The final EIS report paves the way for up to six squadrons – totaling 144 aircraft – of the new fighter jets being stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale that are scheduled to begin arriving at Luke in late 2013.
The Wigwam Resort is a big place, and it was just right for the first of four open houses being held in Arizona by the U.S. Air Force for comments on its environmental impact study of the F-35A training basing at Luke Air Force Base. Luke is the USAF’s preferred alternative to base the pilot training center with 72 F-35A aircraft. However, as stated throughout the open house, no decisions regarding the proposal will be made until after the environmental impact analysis process is complete. There are other military installations under consideration for the training basing: Holloman Air Force Base…
A resolution sponsored by Representative Debbie Lesko (R – Dist. 9), received unanimous approval in the Arizona House and Senate. The Resolution was drafted to express the full support of the Legislature for the implementation of the F-35 Lightning II training mission at Luke Air force Base and the Barry M. Goldwater Gunnery Range. Key language of the resolution states: The F-35 Lightning II is critical to the future defense of the United States, and Luke Air Force Base, with its superb flying weather and outstanding facilities and infrastructure, is the right choice to train Air Force pilots in this…
The long awaited draft EIS was announced today which sets in motion the process for determining the likelihood of stationing up to 6 squadrons of F-35′s at Luke AFB. The F-35A is the Air Force’s variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, which will replace the F-16 Falcon, F-15 Eagle and the A-10 Thunderbolt as the military’s new multi-role fighter…
Key Dates to Remember:
January 20, 2012 - Public release of the F-35A Training Draft EIS
January 20, 2012 – March 14, 2012 - Public hearings for Luke AFB, Arizona
February 13-16, 2012 - Public comment period for F-35A Training Draft EIS closes
Summer 2012 - Release of Final F-35A Training EIS
Summer 2012 - Issuance of USAF F-35A Training EIS Record of Decision
F-35 Mission Update: The United States Air Force issued the following revised schedule for the release of F-35 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). As indicated in the news release, the draft EIS has been deferred to December 2011/January 2012. The public comment period will follow the release of the draft EIS by 30-45 days. It is expected that the Record of Decision will likely come in Summer 2012. Thank you for your continued support of the F-35 Mission and Luke AFB.
Luke Forward received Westmarc’s Special 20th Anniversary Best of the West Award for championing one of the West Valley’s biggest accomplishments — Luke Air Force Base landing the F-35 training center.
GLENDALE, Ariz. – After spending nearly three years building regional and statewide community support for the new F-35 mission at Luke Air Force Base, Luke Forward officials are thrilled with today’s announcement from the Department of Defense that the Glendale base will serve as the Air Force’s new F-35 training center.
