Fighter Country Partnership, an advocacy group for Luke Air Force Base, is launching a Web site this month to give people the opportunity to show support for the base and its mission.
The Glendale base, which is the largest fighter wing and the only active-duty F-16 training site in the world, is on a quest to land the military's new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet.
The Web site, lukeforward.com, provides updated information about Luke, the Joint Strike Fighter and the process for selecting a home for the new jet.
"What we hope to do is keep in close contact with all of our supporters and send e-mails out to everyone who's registered to keep them informed of what the steps are, how we're doing, any issues that might be coming up and any help they might be able to offer," said Steve Yamamori, executive director of Fighter Country Partnership.
The organization also has speakers who are willing to travel anywhere in Arizona to give a briefing about how important the F-35 is for the state, Yamamori said.
Imaginary Trout, a Phoenix-based Web design and management firm, donated its services to create the site.
"They've done a great job of being able to capture all the letters of support and all the individuals who come on and show their support," Yamamori said. "If you go online and register, it pops up in a matter of minutes."
Hundreds of residents and elected officials from across Arizona have already signed up on the site.
"It's actual proof of just how much impact Luke Air Force Base has on not just the West Valley, but all throughout the state," Yamamori said.
With year-round flying capability, Luke performs more than 150 training missions a day. It also contributes more than 7,000 jobs and $2.17 billion annually to the local economy.
"Luke AFB is a consistent economic powerhouse that does not see the peaks and valleys, the booms and busts, of many other economic contributors," Litchfield Park Mayor Thomas Schoaf wrote in a letter.
The base also has an impact on the surrounding community, with personnel volunteering more than 100,000 hours a year at local schools, churches, youth sports leagues and nonprofit organizations, Yamamori said.
