Unit closes chapter in history

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Susan Stout
  • 944th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  February 12 was a bittersweet day on the flightline of the 944th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz..
 
The wing closed a chapter of their almost 20-year history as they bid farewell to the last three of 17 remaining F-16s. The reserve unit's F-16s are being reassigned to other locations following recommendations by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. 

"This is like a family that's moving on," said Lt. Col. Donald Lindberg, 302nd Fighter Squadron commander, who compared the emotions of the event to sending a child to college. 

As part of the farewell, the trio performed a ceremonial flyover for the crowd of 944th Fighter Wing members, past and present, and their families before flying toward Las Vegas. Two of the F-16s, piloted by Colonel Lindberg and Col. Derek Rydholm, 944th Fighter Wing commander, will become part of the aggressor squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. 

The third jet, flown by Maj. Mike Sharp, 944th Operations Group deputy commander, will undergo maintenance at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and then be assigned to an Air National Guard unit in Tucson, Ariz. 

For Master Sgt. Bob Rydzynski, 944th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, the day was very emotional. He has been working on these F-16s since they arrived from the factory in 1987. 

"Today is an emotional day," he said. "On one hand I have a great feeling of pride seeing my jet fly, but at the same time, I know it's not coming back." 

The 302nd Fighter Squadron, which traces its roots to the Tuskegee Airmen, will be inactivated at Luke AFB but will return to the Air Force Reserve Command when it stands up as an F-22 associate unit at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.

The 944th FW will continue its mission of training F-16 pilots.