Luke Chapter Meetings Location: TBD Time: 11:30am ♦ Wed. October 17 ♦ Wed. November 21 ♦ Wed. December 19

Annual Retiree Appreciation Day Luke AFB - Sat Oct. 20 from 0800-1130 at the NOSC (Bldg 300). All retirees with base access are invited to come and learn more about our mission as well as get information about base services and benefits. 2 President’s Message 2018 Chapter Highlights from the third quarter Greetings to all Frank Luke Chapter members, Council community partners, active duty airmen, veterans, and President - Ed Logan citizen supporters of our great . 623-937-6633 (H) Well, they don’t call it The Valley of the Sun here in Maricopa County, Arizona for nothing. [email protected] Our scorching summer is finally over as of early October, but it did not stop your Chapter from Vice Pres. - Sharon Marvin participating in several key activities this past three months in support of the AFA mission. Here are some Sec.-Treasurer - Judy Logan quick highlights: The Traveling Viet Nam Wall came to nearby Surprise, AZ (Chapter VP/Aerospace Education & Community Partner) in July and we joined Luke AFB and local officials at VP/Membership - Harry Bailey the opening ceremonies. I then visited the Wall where the name of my VP/Communications & fellow Arizona State University Det. 25 AFROTC alumnus Major Charles VP/Community Partners, M. Walling, former USAF pilot, deceased, resides. In August we were invited through the Luke AFB Community Outreach Luisa Bailey Program (known as P4 under the excellent direction of Ms. Valerie Berube,

GS 13) to meetings with the nearby City of Tolleson, Arizona’s Union High Webmaster - Matt Ludwig School District. Superintendent Nora Gutierrez announced that a new

military academy style high school is being built and Luke AFB, our AFA Newsletter Editor - Dave Swock Chapter, and our sister Civil Air Patrol unit will help the District craft the

curriculum and support cadet activities going forward. See more details in Frank Luke Chapter Website the cover story. www.afaluke.org In September, I represented the Chapter at the annual AFA Air Space Cyber Conference in Washington, DC at the Gaylord National Convention Center where the business of the Association was conducted, and the Technology Exposition was held. Details have been sent to all AFA members in our various media. The biggest take away as told by both Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson and AFA President Larry Spencer was about the Air Force we have (too small for the mission) and the Air Force we need: up to 388 squadrons from our present 312. We held a Chapter awards dinner at a nearby Dillon’s Restaurant and gave out AFA national awards to our outstanding Chapter members for Join the Frank Luke their work and dedication to our AFA goals. Chapter discussions Congratulations to: through social media! Judy Logan, Exceptional Service Award Angelo Rossetti, Medal of Merit Dave Swock, Medal of Merit Finally, to close out the quarter Harry Bailey and I worked the sixth annual Stand Up for Veterans on September 22, held at Glendale Air Force Association Community College. At least 30 employers and other services for veterans Luke Chapter were on site. This was put on by the Glendale Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee (MAC). Harry and I are active members under the Luke AFB Chamber of Commerce membership. Please join us on Saturday, November 10, for the Thunderbird Park

permanent American Flag Raising hosted by the MAC. See details at: LukeAFA glendalechamber.org/thunderbirdflag

Keep them flying,

Air Force Association Frank Luke Chapter Ed Logan, President Chapter News 3

100 years since 2nd Lt. Frank Luke, Jr. killed in action September 29, 2018 marked the 100 th anniversary of the death of Frank Luke, Jr. namesake of . Frank Luke, Jr. was born on May 19, 1897, in Phoenix after his family emigrated from Germany to America in 1874. Frank was the fifth child of nine. Following America's entry into in April 1917, Frank enlisted in the U.S. Signal Corps, Aviation Section on September 25, 1917 and attended pilot training in Texas and California. After being com- missioned a Second Lieutenant in March 1918, he deployed to France for further training. In July he was assigned to the . The 27th Aero Squadron was under standing orders to destroy Ger- man observation balloons. Because of this order, Luke, along with his close friend Lt. Joseph Wehner continually volunteered to attack these important targets although they were heavily defended by anti-aircraft units. The two pilots had a remarkable string of victories together with Luke attacking the balloons and Wehner flying protective cover. Wehner was killed in action on September 18, 1918, in a dogfight with Fokker D.VIIs which were attacking Luke. Luke then shot down two of these D.VIIs and two balloons. Between September 12 and September 29, Luke was credited with shooting down 14 German balloons and four airplanes. Luke achieved these 18 victories during just 10 sorties in eight days, a feat unsurpassed by any pilot in World War I. Luke's final flight took place during the first phase of the Meuse- Argonne Offensive on September 28, after achieving his 14th and 15th victories in his SPAD XIII. On September 29, Luke took off without authorization and flew to a forward airbase at . That evening Luke flew to the front to attack three balloons in the vicinity of Dun-sur-Meuse, six miles behind the German lines. He first dropped a message to a nearby U.S. balloon company, alerting them to observe his imminent attacks. Luke shot down the enemy balloons but was severely wounded by a single machine gun bullet. Luke landed in a field just west of the small village of Murvaux after strafing a group of German soldiers on the ground near the Ruisseau de Bradon. Although weakened by his wound, he made his way toward a stream intending to reach the cover of its adjacent under- brush but collapsed some 200 meters from his airplane. Approached by German infantry, mortally wounded Luke drew his Colt Model 1911 pistol and fired several rounds at his attackers before dying. On September 30 the Germans buried Luke in the Murvaux cemetery where his body was retrieved two months later by the American forces. His final resting place is the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial, located east of the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon. Luke has been cited as the second-ranking American ace of World War I, second only to among pilots serving with the AEF. Luke's time on the front was comparatively short and 17 of Luke's 18 victories were officially recorded as destroyed, versus only 11 of Rickenbacker's 26. Although Luke was still a Second Lieutenant at the time of his death he later re- ceived a posthumous promotion to First Lieutenant. Luke was awarded the Congres- sional Medal of Honor, the first pilot to receive this honor. Luke also received the Dis- tinguished Service Cross with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster. Eddie Rickenbacker said of Luke, "He was the most daring aviator and greatest fighter pilot of the entire war. His life is one of the brightest glories of our Air Service. He went on a rampage and shot down fourteen enemy aircraft, including ten balloons, in eight days. No other ace, even the dreaded Richthofen, had ever come close to that." 4 Chapter News Secretary of the Air Force visits Luke By SrA. Ridge Shan, 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson visited Luke Air Force Base on August 24, 2018 to familiarize herself with the F-35A training mission of the 56th Fighter Wing and meet with Airmen around the base. Wilson’s visit gave Luke’s Thunderbolts both an opportunity share the work they put into their mission to train the world’s great- est fighter pilots and combat-ready Airmen, and to learn Wilson’s vision for progress and continued development in the Air Force. “We have to have readiness in our force and job number one is people,” Wilson said. Wilson met with wing leadership to learn about Luke’s functions and capabilities, before visiting key facilities including the F-35 Aca- demic Training Center and the 63rd Fighter Squadron. Her visit also included a Town Hall during which she spoke about her priorities to enhance innovation in both technology and work processes, save money by maxi- mizing utility and efficiency, and encourage superior leadership development at the squadron level. “Both Gen. David Goldfein and I believe that the most impor- tant unit in the Air Force is the squadron,” Wilson said. “The culture of the Air Force is set at the squadron, which means we have to identify and develop leaders who are effective at that level.” Wilson believes that innovations like those found at Luke in the Lightning Integrated Technician experiment will be the key to continue to uphold the U.S. Air Force’s tactical and strategic superiority, while adher- ence to the Air Force core values will uphold the supe- rior discipline and effectiveness of its Airmen. “I want you to be driven by our values: integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do,” Wilson said. Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson receives a brief from Lt. Col. Curtis Dougherty, 63rd Fighter Squadron com- “We are mission-focused and people-oriented, but mander, about flight crew equipment and gear for F-35A. driven by our values, we will continue to be the finest USAF photo by SrA. Ridge Shan Air Force in the world.”

Logan’s term as Tempe Chamber MAC Chair ends Ed Logan stepped down from his role as Chair of the Tempe Chamber of Com- merce Military Affairs Committee. The Tempe Chamber of Commerce believes it is important to support the veterans of our Armed Forces. Since 1981, the Tempe Chamber of Commerce MAC’s mission has been to facilitate a favorable and mutu- ally rewarding relationship between the Tempe business community and various military units in the Valley. The MAC holds three awards ceremonies throughout the year where they award outstanding military officers and enlisted persons are recognized for their ser- vice. Through fundraising events and the MAC Emeritus Council, the MAC pre- sents scholarships to outstanding Jr. ROTC in each branch of the military. In addi- tion to recognizing outstanding officers, the MAC is working on developing career and workplace resources and programs. The Committee’s current members are out- Ed Logan, outgoing 2017-2018 standing men and women who possess a special respect and regard for those who MAC Chair receives a gift as a are serving our country in the military. recognition of service. Military Affairs Committee award luncheon On October 10th, Tempe Chamber of Commerce MAC honored two outstanding servicemen from the 161st Air Refueling Wing, the “Copperheads” flying the KC-135 Stratotanker out of the Barry Goldwater Air National Guard Base at Sky Harbor. Captain Benjamin D. Howell will receive the Major Truman Young Award and Staff Sergeant Alfred J. Serventi will receive the Technical Sergeant Donald Plough Award. Chapter News 5 Credit Union West Air Force Credit Union of the Year Serving military members and veterans is foundational to Credit Union West, which was established in 1951 as Luke Federal Credit Un- ion and founded on Luke Air Force Base The tradition of serving the military continues today, earning them the distinction of being named the Air Force Credit Union of the Year in 2018, the highest possible award for an on-Base financial insti- Credit Union West President Karen Roch receiving the Air Force Credit Union of the tution. Year Award - Photo Defense Credit Union Council “It is an incredible honor to be se- lected over dozens of other institutions nationwide for this prestigious award,” said Bob MacGregor, CEO of Credit Union West. “We are proud of our long tradition of serving the Luke AFB community, as well as the larger military member and veteran community in Maricopa and Yavapai counties.” Credit Union West is known for its financial education initiatives and support for non-profit military and veteran organizations like Soldier’s Best Friend, the Veteran Success Project and Cell Phones for Soldiers. Some of the various ways that they support Luke AFB include: • Bi-weekly personal finance classes for new airmen arriving at Luke AFB • Monthly participation in welcoming new comers to Luke AFB • Annual support of the Air Force’s nationwide financial initiative, Military Saves Week • Aiding in quarterly and annual recognition for outstanding personnel on Luke AFB • Credit Score Enhancement education that helps airmen build or establish credit • Offers products to support the foreign military members who train at Luke AFB • Offers Co-Op Shared Branching to assist military who have credit union accounts elsewhere “On behalf of all of us at Credit Union West, we humbly accept this award and thank the Luke AFB community for recognizing us,” said MacGregor. Learn more about these programs and initiatives, as well as other supported military and veteran organizations at www.cuwest.org. Air Force Credit Union of the Year Award is based on asset class size by USAF Installation Commander recom- mendations to the Secretary of the Air Force. About Credit Union West: Credit Union West was founded in 1951 and is an award-winning financial coopera- tive. Well positioned for the future, Credit Union West has earned the highest 5-Star rating from Financial, Inc., the nation’s leading credit union and bank rating and research firm, who has been analyzing and rating financial institutions since 1983. Today it serves over 65,000 members with more than $650 million in assets. The credit union’s core principles have guided its decisions, which in turn has ensured integrity and trusted member service. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works or worships in Maricopa or Yavapai County and family members of current members. Federally insured by the NCUA. Learn more at www.cuwest.org. If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call Allan Switalski at 602.631.3426 or email [email protected]. 56th FW Airmen Leadership School news The John J. Rhodes Airman Leadership School is a six-week course de- signed to develop Airmen into effective front-line supervisors. ALS focuses on developing leadership abilities, the profession of arms, and building effective communication. Luke ALS New Commandant – TSgt. Kenneth Coderre (effective later this year); The John L Levitow Award - SrA. John Schwander- lik (The highest award); Commandants Award – SrA. Christian Bish; Distin- guished Graduates – SrA. Christian Bish and SrA. Cody Ferrera; Academic Award – SrA. Haley Reeves. The AFA Frank Luke Chapter congratulates all John J. Rhodes Airman Leadership ALS graduates. School classroom 6 Community Partner Advertisements Community Partners 7

Please patronize the following area businesses/organizations, our valued Chapter Community Partners, who proudly display a plaque as evidence of their support of AFA’s goals and mission. Take time to stop by and thank them for their support of AFA, Team Luke, and other military units in our chapter’s area of responsibility.

AEROSPACE & DEFENSE HEALTH CARE MERCURY SYSTEMS DR. CHRIS JARON, O.D. - Optometrist Iain Mackie, GM 12725 W. Indian School Rd, Avondale AZ 85392, 3601 E. University Dr., Phoenix 85034, 602-437-1520 623-512-4052 PRIME SOLUTIONS GROUP (Aerospace Consulting) DR. VICTOR KISSIL, D.O. FACOG - Deer Valley OB-Gyn Joseph W. Marvin, Pres/CEO 20033 N. 19th Ave., Ste 100, Phoenix 85027, 1300 S. Litchfield Rd., Box 1, Bldg 4, Ste A1021 623-879-8161 Goodyear 85338, 623-853-0829 SUN HEALTH — Joe La Rue , CEO

14719 W. Grand Ave., Surprise 85374, 623-832-5352 AUTO SERVICES LA LOMA VILLAGE — Kari Curry , Executive Director SANDS CHEVROLET—Jerry Moore, VP 14154 Denny Blvd, Litchfield Park 85340, 623-537-7513 5148 NW Grand Ave., Glendale 85301, 623-931-9331

SILVER STAR MOTORS—Johnny Hreniuc, Owner INSURANCE 6609 N. 59th Ave., Glendale 85301, 623-842-1107 GEICO - John Nix, Local Rep WILHELM AUTOMOTIVE - Chris Garman, Gen Mgr 9515 W. Camelback Rd #134, Phoenix 85037, 8241 Grand Ave., Peoria 85345, 623-979-3740 623-931-0766

BANKING MUSEUM CREDIT UNION WEST - Karen Roch , President ARIZONA WING, COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE P.O. Box 7600, Glendale 85312, 602-631-3200 Richard Exler, Tour Coordinator Includes following branches: Arrowhead, Avondale, 2017 N. Greenfield Rd, Mesa 85215, 480-924-1940 X116 Cactus, Cottonwood, Luke AFB, North

Mountain, Osborn Campus, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Shea Campus, Sun City West and Surprise RESTAURANTS KISS THE COOK - Roger Hagadorn, Owner 4915 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale 85301, 623-939-4663 CIVIC/GOVERNMENT

CITY OF AVONDALE - Mayor Kenn Weise, 623-333-1900 11465 W. Civic Center Dr #280, Avdl 85323 CITY OF EL MIRAGE - Mayor Lana Mook 12145 NW Grand Ave., El Mirage 85335, 623-876-2962 CITY OF GLENDALE— Mayor Jerry Weiers 5850 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale 85301, 623-930-2260 CITY OF GOODYEAR - Mayor Georgia Lord 190 N. Litchfield Road, Goodyear 85338, 623-932-3910 CITY OF LITCHFIELD PARK - Mayor Thomas L. Schoaf 214 W. Wigwam Blvd, LP 85340, 623-935-5033 CITY OF PEORIA - Mayor Cathy Carlat 8401 W. Monroe, Peoria 85345, 623-773-7306 CITY OF SURPRISE - Mayor Sharon Wolcott 16000 N. Civic Ctr Plaza, Surprise 85374, 623-222-1300 TOWN OF YOUNGTOWN - Mayor Michael LeVault 12030 Clubhouse Square, Youngtown 85363, 623-933-8286

GRAPHICS MOORE GRAPHICS - Kevin Moore, Owner 11200 W. Wisconsin Ave #6, Youngtown 85363, 623-972-8161

Frank Luke Chapter BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE Air Force Association PAID 5518 N. Sierra Hermosa Ct. LITCHFIELD PARK AZ 85340 Litchfield Park, AZ 85340 PERMIT NO. 10

8 Chapter News

Luke AFB crew chief named best in Air Force SSgt. Tanner Apple, 309th Aircraft Maintenance Unit dedicated crew chief, was awarded the Thomas N. Barnes Award on August 13 at Luke

Air Force Base. The Thomas N. Barnes Award recognizes the top dedi- cated crew chief in the Air Force for the year. “Staff Sgt. Apple has distinguished himself as an outstanding aircraft maintenance professional performing at an extremely high level,” said

Maj. Edward Romero, 756th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. “His excellent work ethic, drive and expertise sets him apart from his peers. Apple is a force multiplier, and he is making his peers step-up their performance.” Crew chiefs direct aircraft maintenance crews and ensure

Maj. Romero, 756th AMXS commander, that all inspections and maintenance procedures are performed correctly presents SSgt. Tanner Apple, 309th AMU and safely. Dedicated crew chiefs are assigned to a single aircraft and the Thomas M. Barnes Award. are singularly responsible not only for ensuring the successful completion USAF photo by SrA. Ridge Shan of its maintenance but for improving it as well. “I am always willing to take on more responsibility and learn new tasks to help out where I can. When you ask what it takes to win, I would say, to always continue to reach for more. I have never had leadership who has tried to help push me for success more than here at the 309th AMU,” Apple said. Chief’s sponsor “Steakburner” lunch for Airmen Join us for the Luke Chief’s “Steakburner” lunch on Friday, October 26, 1100 to 1400 at Fowler Park on the base. (You will need base access). Fee is $10.00 per person for steak, beans and drink. This helps the Chief’s support our Airmen. Contact Harry Bailey for tickets or if you want to donate via email - [email protected]