Luke Field/Air Force Base and 56th Fighter Wing Heritage Pamphlet ...

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20 September 2000 Northern departures with live ordnance terminated due to
proposed building of two new schools. Live ordnance missions
restricted to departures to south.
20 September 2000 Encroachment concerns arose over proposed 10,000-home
development near White Tanks Mountains and under an
entry/departure control point for base's air traffic.
20 October 2000 AETC officials named Luke on short list for possible beddown of
joint strike fighter.
28 November 2000 US Senator John McCain warned next round of base closures
could name Luke to close because of encroachment.
9 December 2000 Continuing pilot losses resulted in reassignment of 944th Fighter
Wing from ACC to AETC and unit joining 56th Fighter Wing;
Kelly AFB, Texas; Springfield Air National Guard Base, Ohio;
and 162FW in Tucson in providing F-16 qualification training.
23 January 2001 Local landowner, neighbor, and longtime Luke supporter, Mrs
Edith Denny, succumbed at age 90. She was daughter of Paul
and Florence Litchfield who arrived in area in 1916 and were
major economic force in West Valley.
13 February 2001 Federal judge ruled for AF biological assessment and
Environmental Impact Statement in suit over antelope filed by
environmentalist group (see 26 June 1999 entry); however, suit
not dismissed against other defendants. No impact on fighter
training.
4 May 2001 House Bill 1120 signed into law and provided funding for
agricultural district around Luke (see entry for 17 May 1999).
18 May 2001 El Mirage Mayor Roy Delgado pledged support for Luke and
promised not to build homes south of Peoria Ave that encroached
on base.
13 June 2001 Wing headquarters moved from bldg S-11 at main gate to bldg
452 near flightline in a move to enhance force protection.