The last crop of F-16 crewchiefs trained at Luke AFB, Ariz., graduated from their final phase of training there on Nov. 23, officials announced. “Every F-16 Fighting Falcon crew chief has gone through our program for the last 21 years,” MSgt. Paul Engram, 372nd Training Squadron, Det. 12 noncommissioned officer-in-charge, said in a release. The schoolhouse is moving to Holloman AFB, N. M., to join the two F-16 pilot training squadrons that have already transferred there to make room for F-35 training at Luke. Crewchiefs completed “hot training” at Luke—learning to launch and recover operational aircraft—after several months of academic, and static maintenance training at Sheppard AFB, Texas. The schoolhouse trained 11,840 crewchiefs since the program located to Luke in 1994. F-35 Lightning II crewchiefs will begin training at Luke in 2017, according to the release.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
