Posted on March 25, 2013 by Fighter Country
There are two reasons I believe Luke Air Force Base is at more risk now than it was during the base selection process for the F-35.
Sequestration and BRAC, which is Base Realignment and Closure.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced that it will seek two rounds of base closures, one in 2015 followed by another in 2017. Apparently DoD wanted to do a BRAC last year but that was stymied by Congress, who just happened to be up for reelection.
Posted on March 23, 2013 by Fighter Country
>Having been in public service for roughly 30 years of my life, witnessing political posturing is not exactly a new phenomenon. But the recent back-and-forth over President Obama’s sequester, including the failure to reach an agreement before the March 1 deadline, has taken the worst aspects of bureaucracy to absurd new heights.
Indeed, the federal government has, at this point, become essentially a parody of itself. So inefficient and ineffective has the budgeting process become that the federal government has, for months, been scrambling to find some way to undo its own work.
A crash course was charted, autopilot was enabled, and we are now somehow shocked to find ourselves arriving at our destination.
Posted on March 30, 2012 by Fighter Country
Gov. Jan Brewer’s signature on a bill clearing the way for the construction of a complete WWII Memorial in Phoenix has brought a vision to reality.
Over the last year, Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett and the Salute the Fallen Committee have worked tirelessly to bring a 14” gun barrel from the USS Arizona and a 16” barrel from the USS Missouri to Phoenix for permanent display in Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza in front of our state capitol. It’s their hope that adding two visible bookends from the war will encourage people to reflect and admire the strength and courage it takes to defend a nation.
Posted on November 17, 2011 by Fighter Country
Gov. Jan Brewer will head to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday for a day of meetings on Capitol Hill and a speech to a GOP women’s group. Brewer will meet on Wednesday with members of Arizona’s congressional delegation, followed by a meeting with U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley. Gubernatorial spokesman Matthew Benson said Brewer and Donley will discuss Luke Air Force Base’s bid to be the home of the F-35 joint strike fighter. After the meeting with Donley, Brewer will meet again with members of the delegation, and possibly with other members of Congress as well, Benson said. On Thursday,…
Posted on October 18, 2011 by Fighter Country
By Carolyn Dryer @ The Glendale Star Congressman Trent Franks commented this week on the mission at Luke Air Force Base and the scheduling of the F-16 squadrons’ move to Holloman Air Force Base once the F-35 Lightning II lands at the base in Glendale. Upon entering office, Franks said he was part of the delegation that worked diligently to save Luke during the Base Relocation and Closure (BRAC) process. “Then, we were working hard to get the F-35 to Luke,” Franks said. “.So, those are wonderful successes I’m thankful for.” Franks said the first F-16 movement, the first squadron,…
Posted on October 6, 2010 by Fighter Country
Join conservation advocates, Chambers of Commerce, economic development groups and military supporters from around Arizona in VOTING YES on Proposition 110! Proposition 110 provides for accountable and transparent state trust land exchanges to protect Arizona’s military installations. Under this proposition, each exchange is approved by the Arizona voters. PROTECT A BASE INDUSTRY Military installations around Arizona have a $9.0 Billion impact on the economy each year. More than 35,000 Arizonans jobs depend on this base industry and we need to be vigilant about encroachment in the future. PROTECTS ARIZONA’S MILITARY INSTALLATIONS This constitutional amendment authorizes land exchanges between the State…
Posted on February 19, 2010 by Fighter Country
by Surprise Mayor L.E. “Lyn” Truitt As mayor of Surprise, I see the positive difference Luke Air Force Base makes daily in our community. That is why I fully support bringing the F-35 training program to Luke Air Force Base. Surprise has more flyovers from Luke’s F-16 jets than any other West Valley city. To us, the roar of those fighters is the sound of freedom. Luke AFB is a true West Valley native. Its mission of defending freedom blossomed decades ago, when it was a training site for young WWII pilots. Many of them loved Arizona and settled here;…
Posted on February 19, 2010 by Fighter Country
Tensions between F-35 jet supporters and skeptics will have another chance to boil over next week, as the Air Force will hold a series of scoping meetings to hear the public’s concerns. The public scoping process is intended to actively involve citizens and government agencies in helping identify the environmental issues to be addressed in the environmental analysis of the F-35 at Luke. These meetings will provide residents with an introduction to the F-35 and its capabilities and mission. Specific information on how the F-35 will be integrated at Luke as a training facility will also be covered. Meetings are…
Posted on February 16, 2010 by Fighter Country
Local, State Leaders Work Together to Make Arizona A National Model for Protecting Military Bases West Valley and state leaders have been working together to take proactive steps in preserving and enhancing the long-term mission viability of the state’s military installations. Their actions may soon pay off as Luke Air Force Base is one of several Air Force bases being considered for the upcoming F-35 training mission. Since the first successful state legislation was passed in 1978, there has been a coordinated and continuous approach to establishing compatible land uses around military bases in Arizona, including Luke. State laws establish…
