Left to right: Gene Wikle, President of the Luke MOAA Chapter; Mike Kramer, Chapter Secretary; Rev Fannalou Guggisberg, Chapter Chaplain; Pam Wotjas, Val Kuhn, and Jerry Wotjas, Chapter members.
A partnership between the Luke Air Force Base Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the PebbleCreek Men’s Nine–Hole Golf Association (PCM9GA) has provided much appreciated food relief to junior Airmen and their families at Luke Air Force Base (AFB).
A food drive collected more than 1,000 non-perishable food items and cash to purchase 111 Commissary gift cards that were distributed to over 200 junior Airmen and their families on Nov. 20, 2025, just in time for Thanksgiving. These items will supplement the donated frozen turkeys collected by the annual Luke AFB First Sergeants’ “Turkeys for Troops” program, providing a full Thanksgiving menu to young, enlisted men and women in need.
“We are grateful for the generous community support to our junior families throughout the year, but particularly so at the holidays,” said Master Sergeant Robbie Whaley, President of Operation Warm Heart at Luke AFB. “Your efforts will make their Thanksgiving a much less stressful time.”
“Our club has a great relationship with the Luke Chapter of MOAA,” said John Craven, President of the PCM9GA. “When we were asked to support the ‘Turkeys for Troops’ program, our executive board and members enthusiastically provided canned food donations and a monetary contribution. Our group includes several veterans and all the members felt honored to support the Luke AFB service men and women.”
“We have a variety of programs that benefit our Arizona military and veterans community, but ‘Turkeys for Troops’ is one of the most rewarding, knowing its immediate impact on families,” said Gene Wikle, President of the Luke Chapter of MOAA. “We’re proud of the positive impact that we make on the lives of real people right here in the West Valley. We appreciate the support of the PCM9GA in this important program.”
In addition to the “Turkeys for Troops” initiative, the Luke Chapter of MOAA also provides scholarships to students from military families, makes emergency grants to veterans in need of housing assistance, and supports West Valley Junior ROTC programs at 13 local high schools. The Luke Chapter partners with the national Military Officers Association of America and with the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services to support grants to Arizona veterans facing housing and food emergencies.
“We invite active duty and former military officers to join our Chapter and contribute to the good things we do locally,” said Wikle. To join the Chapter or learn more, visit lukemoaa.org and “Never Stop Serving.”