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.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
