LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, AZ — An event as big as the Super Bowl can’t happen without getting the U.S. Military involved. This year the game is taking place in Glendale near Luke Air Force Base, which will serve as the station for the flyover.
ABC15 went to the base to see how they prepare for one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
Master Sergeant Shawna Johnson is the deputy airfield manager on base.
"Here at Luke, our controllers control more in a single day than most bases do in an entire week,” she said when talking about the air traffic through the base.
It’s always busy on any given day. When you throw in a huge event like the Super Bowl, it truly becomes all hands on deck.
"We have a ton of different squadrons here that fly in addition to transient aircraft. We had the president come in, the vice president come in, and now we're supporting the Super Bowl," MSgt Johnson said.
Her team oversees making sure the airfield is in top shape. Meanwhile, Technical Sergeant Mitchell Brott helps look after the jets and he's excited to show some of them off the week leading up to the Super Bowl.
"The F-16 specifically is one of the best fighter aircraft in history and so you get the very general questions of 'hey how fast can it go,’" TSgt Brott said. The answer to that, according to him is, "Approaching Mach 2. Some of these really cool pilots aren't afraid to press it.”
The base is located about seven miles west of State Farm Stadium, which is host to Super Bowl LVII on Sunday.
"We're very excited to be hosting, and everybody wants to be part of everything,” TSgt Brott shared but said they’re keeping everyone focused on the tasks at hand.
The last time the Super Bowl was in Arizona was in 2015, but this will be a first-time experience for many on the base.
One of the best pregame traditions is the military flyover at the end of the National Anthem — and this year, the honor goes to the U.S. Navy.
"This year we're hosting the Navy and they're bringing in F-18, the Growler, and F-35 and they're going to set their aircraft up right here," MSgt Johnson said.
There'll be an influx of people on the base and base security forces are ready as well.
Senior Airman Tyler Gregory is a security patrolman on the base.
"We're expecting a lot of traffic here at Luke Air Force Base due to the Super Bowl being in Phoenix," he said. Because of that, he says their jobs will vary depending on need. But no matter what, they’ll be ready. "We're on watch here 24/7 so we're always on duty just getting ready to mitigate any type of potential risk or threats we have at the installation."
It's a chance to show the community the work they're doing. But also, a chance for them to be a part of the biggest sporting event of the year.
Super Bowl LVII kicks off Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
