Outstanding Training Unit Award

Hub Zemke "Thunderbolt" Trophy

Similar in stature tot he AFHF Doolittle Trophy for valor in combat, this award represents contributions made by an active Air Force or Space Force unit whose primary mission is training, for gallantry, determination, esprit de corps, and superior management while executing the mission.

Exemplifying the proud traditions of this unit is Hub Zemke. He was a talented tactician, and under his leadership, the 56th led the European Theater in air-to-air kills. His innovative “Zemke Fan” tactic was adopted by the Eighth Air Force and drastically improved the effectiveness of fighter escorts beginning in May 1944, after which fighter victories went up as bomber losses went down for all the Mighty Eight. Even while serving as a POW after being shot down in October 1944, Zemke demonstrated dynamic leadership abilities. 

Be it now know from this day forward that the AFHF Outstanding Unit Award for Training, as a constant reminder of the history and legacy of unsurpassed training operations by the 56FW, and for those who have created and sustained the motto “Beware of the Thunderbolt” will officially be renamed as the “Hub Zemke Thunderbolt” Trophy.

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    • Featured Award Winner

    2024
    56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base

    Located west of Phoenix, Luke Air Force Base is home to the 56th Fighter Wing, the largest fighter wing in the world and the Air Force’s primary active-duty fighter pilot training wing. As part of Air Education and Training Command, and home to 24 squadrons with both F-35A Lightning II and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, the 56th graduates more than 400 pilots and 300 air control professionals annually. The wing is also responsible for six additional squadrons under the 54th Fighter Group located at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, where F-16 training will move in the interim as Luke AFB transitions to become the primary pilot training center for the F-35A, the Air Force’s newest multi-role aircraft. Additionally, the 56th Fighter Wing oversees the Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field and is steward of the Barry M. Goldwater Range, a military training range spanning more than 1.7 million acres of Sonoran Desert.

    Past Zemke Award Recipients

    • 2024: 56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base, AZ