b'luke air forceBase historysquadrons were inactivated, as were the 832nd Air Division and the 405th TTW. The F-15A and B models were transferred out, and the 58th TTW, being the senior wing at Luke AFB, was redesignated the 58th Fighter Wing and once again became the host unit.56TH FIGHTER WING ESTABLISHED AT LUKE AFB TO PRESERVE AF LEGACY In April 1994, after 24 years at Luke Air Force Base, the 58th Fighter Wing was replaced by the 56th Fighter Wing (FW) as part of the Air Force Heritage program. Air Force officials established the program to preserve Air Force legacy and history during a time of military drawdown. The 56th FW was one of the most highly decorated units in Air Force history, Lukes One Million Hours, On 7 February 1944 Luke Field completed 1,000,000 hours of flying, a milestone inand it was named to remain part of the active fighter force its progress and development. Col. John C. Nissley, commanding officer, climbed into ship X-1 and logged thewhile the 58th FW was reassigned as a special operations wing remaining minutes. On the flightline to greet Col. Nissley were Col. Lester S. Harris, Director of Training, under whose supervision the total flying time was ammased; Major Hugh A. Griffith, Jr., Base Operations Officer, andto Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Capt. William A. Payton, Assistant Operations Officer. (DoD photo) Luke AFB 56th FW traces its heritage to the 56th Pursuit During World War II, Luke Field was the largest fighterGroup that first activated Jan. 15, 1941, in Savannah, Georgia. training base in the Army Air Forces, graduating more thanIts earlier history was marked by frequent moves, the first to 17,000 fighter pilots from advanced and operational coursesNorth Carolina in May 1941 and then to New York in 1942. in the AT-6 Texan, P-40 Warhawk, P-51 Mustang and P-38Using P-39 Airacobra and P-40 Warhawk aircraft, the unit flew Lightning. By Feb. 7, 1944, pilots at Luke Field had achievedair defense patrol until June 1942, when the group became the a million hours of flying time. By 1946, however, the numberfirst to train with and fly the P-47 Thunderbolt.of pilots trained dropped to 299 and the base was inactivatedThe 56th FW left for England Jan. 6, 1943. During the Nov. 30 of that year. following two years, pilots of the 56th FW shot down more Soon after combat developed in Korea, Luke Field wasenemy planes and listed more aces than any other Army Air reactivated Feb. 1, 1951, as Luke Air Force Base, part of AirForce group in the 8th Air Force, including the top two aces Training Command under the reorganized U.S. Air Force. in Europe. By the wars end, the 56th FWs mottoCave Air Force students trained in the AT-6 Texan, P-51 MustangTonitrum, meaning Beware the Thunderboltwas highly and F-84 Thunderjet. Flight training at Luke AFB changedrespected by the allies and their enemies alike.to the F-100 Super Sabre, and July 1, 1958, the base wasOn Oct. 18, 1945, the unit was inactivated. It was reactivated transferred from Air Training Command to Tactical Air Command. May 1, 1946, at Selfridge Field, Michigan, as part of the Strategic Luke AFB continued its tradition of providing fighter trainingAir Commands 15th Air Force. It included the 61st, 62nd and for allied nations when an F-104 Starfire program for German63rd Fighter squadrons (FS). As part of a restructuring, the air force pilots and a program in the F-5 Freedom Fighter for56th FW was activated Aug. 15, 1947, and the 56th Fighter Group was assigned to the new wing. pilots from other nations began in 1964.In the 1960s, thousands of American fighter pilots left Luke AFB to carve their niche in Air Force history in the skies over Vietnam. In July 1971, the base received the F-4C Phantom II and assumed its role as the main provider of fighter pilots for Tactical Air Command and fighter forces worldwide.In November 1974, the Air Forces newest air superiority fighter, the F-15 Eagle, came to Luke Air Force Base. It was joined in December 1982 by the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Luke AFB fighter pilots began training in the new F-16 aircraft Feb. 2, 1983.The 405th TTW received the first E model of the F-15E Strike Eagle in 1988 and began training in this dual-role fighter.The early 1990s brought significant changes to the base. As a result of defense realignments, four tactical fighter trainingSeven North American AT-6 Texans from Luke Field in formation during World War II. (DoD photo)34 LUKE AIR FORCE BASE THE Premier Fighter Wing'