Willmeng President James Murphy, Project Superintendent Don Gleash and Fire Chief Terry Garrison of the Glendale Fire Department were selected to be sworn in as honorary commanders at Luke Air Force Base under the guidance of Lt. Col. Gregory Mayer of the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron, also known as the Dragon Slayers. They attended the Honorary Commander Induction Ceremony in Hangar 999.
The Honorary Commanders program was created as part of the U.S. Air Force’s responsibility to establish and maintain personal contact with local civic leaders in order to increase public awareness of the missions, policies and programs of the Air Force.
According to Mayer, the mission of the 56th Civil Engineering Squadron is to, “provide technically sound combat ready engineers to build, sustain, and protect Luke AFB through engineering and emergency response services.”
As the squadron commander, Mayer directs a unit of 350 military and civilian engineers and emergency responders. He is responsible for fire protection, explosive ordnance disposal, readiness, design and construction, environmental programs, family housing and operations and maintenance on Luke Air Force Base and the 1.7 million acre Barry M. Goldwater Range. In addition, his squadron has taken the lead in planning and building the infrastructure and facilities needed to beddown the F-35.
