Fighter Country Partnership is the community support and advocacy group for Luke Air Force Base, and was founded in 1997 by concerned civic leaders and elected officials.  

Our mission is to sustain a high level of support for the men, women and families of Luke Air Force Base and to protect and enhance its mission, to train the world's best pilots, maintainers and support personnel.

Our members are business people, elected officials, military retirees and a diverse group of citizens who support Luke and want to ensure its future in Arizona. Our Board of Directors consists of 40 prominent business, civic and government leaders from across the Valley. Fighter Country Partnership is tasked to find community partners to act as a bridge of support for the men, women and families of Luke Air Force Base.

  • Luke Air Force Base began its rich history in Arizona in 1941.
  • Luke trained more than 17,000 pilots during World War II
  • The elite USAF Thunderbirds Squadron began at Luke in 1953
  • Luke has graduated more than 51,500 individuals in fighter-training programs for the United States and its Allies to date
  • Luke is the premier F-16 Fighting Falcon training facility, training more than 1,000 pilots and 900 crew chiefs annually
  • Luke is the largest USAF F-16 fighter wing and flight training facility in the world, and it contributes to the front line forces in our Nation’s defense
  • Luke is the home of the 56th Fighter Wing and the USAF Reserve 944th Fighter Wing

Luke Air Force Base Facts

Luke Air Force Base is the largest air base in the world, and is approximately the 7th largest Air Force. It trains 75% of all F-16 Viper pilots with more than 180 training sorties performed every day. That is roughly the same amount of sorties as the opening days of Operation Desert Storm.

There are more than 6,000 Airment stationed at Luke Air Force Base with more than 600 deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world by the end of 2007.

  • The mission of the 56th Fighter Wing is to train the world’s finest F-16 fighter pilots and crew chiefs while providing agile combat support for air and space expeditionary forces.
  • The 56th Fighter Wing manages 1.1 million of the 2.7 million acres that comprise the Barry M. Goldwater Range in Southern Arizona. The United States Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force Reserves and the Arizona National Guard use the Goldwater Range for training critical to the defense of our Nation and our freedom.
  • Luke is an incomparable economic engine for Arizona, contributing more than 18,500 jobs and $1.4 billion annually, directly and indirectly, to our local economy.
  • The Military is the largest employer in Arizona, employing more than 83,000 active duty, reserve and civilians at military installations statewide.

Fighter Country Partnership’s

Objectives

We are committed to the preservation of Luke’s mission and the protection of its operative land and air space.  In order to insure Luke’s future viability we must:

1.      Ensure the flight corridor south of Luke Air Force Base remains safe and that any land use within the “Accident Potential Zone” (APZ) remains compatible with Luke’s training objectives.

2.      Encourage and help maintain safe and compatible use of the land and air space surrounding Luke AFB.

3.      Educate Arizonans about Luke’s role as a guardian of our Nation's security and its significance as a major contributor to the local and statewide economy.

4.      Raise funds to help acquire essential properties in order to insure long-term compatibility between Luke and its neighbors.

Individual Membership and Corporate Sponsorship Information

We are actively recruiting individuals and business leaders in order to build one strong voice of support to preserve the vital mission of Luke Air Force Base.

If you are interested in learning more about Fighter Country Partnership, or would like to take an active role to protect Luke, please call our office for more details or visit our website today! 

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and having you join the fight for Luke.

If you have further questions regarding membership please contact:

 Mr. Steve Yamamori, Executive Director/CEO

Email:  syamamori@cox.net