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April 25, 2003—Luke Air Force Base—Monday, April 21st, Brigadier General (S) Breedlove, Commander of Luke Air Force Base, took Congressman Trent Franks on a tour of the Barry M. Goldwater Range aboard an F-16 Fighting Falcon.
“It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life,” Franks said. “The General was so kind and provided me with a truly unique view of the Goldwater Range. When I looked down over its vastness, I was struck at the great expanse of the range.”
The hour-long flight included F-16 acrobatics and advance handling maneuvers.
“There is no other place like it. It is indeed the crown jewel of all flight ranges, and there is no other place I can imagine suitable for the operations crucial to the F-16 training program,” Franks said. “This flight gave me such a clear realization of the kind of threats and difficulties our young pilots face. It is one thing to do maneuvers at a training site, but another to carry out these difficult missions while being fired upon by the enemy. I have enormous respect for America’s pilots who put themselves in harm’s way on a regular basis, to preserve and protect our freedom. We owe them all an unspeakable debt of gratitude.”
The F-16 is one of the most sought-after fighter planes. Since its inception in 1976, this multi-role fighter has played an integral role in America’s arsenal of freedom, and has been a significant weapon in the war against terrorism.
The Barry M. Goldwater Range, a 2.7 million acre land and airspace area in southwest Arizona, provides the Air Force with the space necessary to conduct live-fire training and simulates realistically the dimensions of a modern battlefield. |
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