text: In a piece in "Foreign Policy", retired Marine general and former U.S. envoy John R. Allen wrote that the U.S. under Trump had begun turning illiberal, which "may well signal the beginning of the end of the American experiment". Allen wrote that Trump "doesn't care about the devout, except insofar as they serve his political needs" and had "failed to project any of the higher emotions or leadership desperately needed in every quarter of this nation during this dire moment". Allen also wrote "It wasn't enough that peaceful protesters had just been deprived of their first-amendment rights—this photo-op sought to legitimize that abuse with a layer of religion."


title: Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church

text: On June 2, the former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy James Miller resigned from the Defense Science Board in protest after the incident, while sharing his resignation letter with "The Washington Post". Miller wrote that Trump "violated his oath to 'take care that the laws be faithfully executed', as well as the First Amendment 'right of the people peaceably to assemble. He cited his own oath of office and wrote that Esper had violated the same oath—to support and defend the Constitution—saying Esper "visibly supported" Trump's "directing this appalling use of force". Miller also criticized Esper's statement urging state governors to "dominate the battlespace", writing, "I cannot believe that you see the United States as a 'battlespace', or that you believe our citizens must be 'dominated'. Such language sends an extremely dangerous signal."


text: Retired Army general Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO, said: "It was really shocking and outrageous. There was no reason for it. Then to see the president come across with the military leadership, oh, it looked ugly."


text: One of the Guardsmen on the scene later recalled, "As a military officer, what I saw was more or less really fucked up... the crowd was loud but peaceful, and at no point did I feel in danger, and I was standing right there in the front of the line. A lot of us are still struggling to process this, but in a lot of ways, I believe I saw civil rights being violated in order for a photo op." Another guardsman confirmed the presence of tear gas, adding that "I've been tear gassed before. I was there the night before when we got tear gassed, [and] there was tear gas there" Monday evening.


text: Law professor Garrett Epps wrote that "the dispersal of the peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square was a monstrous violation of America's venerable right of assembly" as guaranteed by the Constitution's First Amendment. John Fea, a professor of American history at Messiah College, said, "Looking back through history, whenever you see someone in authority using the Bible to justify law and order, it ends badly." Historian Robert Kagan, a Brookings Institution senior fellow and "Washington Post" contributing columnist, wrote that General Milley's appearance in the photo—in combat uniform—might "turn out to be the first in a series of pictures in some future history text about the undermining of American democracy". Princeton University's Eddie Glaude said the photo op represents "the theater of dictatorial power", asserting that "people saw it clearly for what it was, and to conscript the military into that performance made concrete the feeling that not only are we seeing the erosion of democratic norms, but the very institutions of the country are in jeopardy."


text: Jameel Jaffer of the Knight First Amendment Institute said there was a strong legal case that the protesters' First Amendment rights were violated. Of particular relevance is a 2015 legal settlement made after the unlawful 2002 mass arrest of anti-globalization protesters in Pershing Park. In the settlement, the U.S. Park Police agreed to revise its policies to ensure warnings to protesters that they are in violation of the law are clearly audible to the entire crowd, and that demonstrators have adequate time to respond to instructions.


text: The "New York Times" editorial board called Attorney General William Barr's decision to forcibly clear a peaceful protest in a public park and churchyard for Trump to conduct a photo-op "a brazen display of this administration's disregard for the First Amendment" that "managed to take aim at the freedom of assembly, speech and religion all at the same time". The "Washington Post" editorial board criticized Barr and Trump's actions as "cheap political theater" and called upon leaders in Congress and the military to dissuade Trump from deploying active-duty Army soldiers on Americans streets (as Trump indicated he might do), saying such a move would be "unacceptable" and "move America closer to anarchy".


text: The scenes of peaceful protesters being violently dispersed were seized upon by the U.S.'s international adversaries, undercutting U.S. diplomats' efforts to promote democracy and human rights abroad. Representatives of Russia, China, and Iran used the event to challenge America's moral authority and historical advocacy for the rights of protesters.


text: Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, was asked to comment on Trump's proposal of using the military against protesters in the United States, as well as the protesters being cleared for the photo op. Trudeau paused for 21 seconds before responding: "We all watch in horror and consternation at what is going on in the United States". Trudeau continued, "it is a time to listen" and "a time to learn what injustices continue despite progress", before discussing Canada's own challenges, including "systemic discrimination".


title: Black Russian Terrier

text: The Black Russian Terrier (), also known as the Chornyi Terrier ("chornyi" being Russian for black) is a breed of dog created in USSR in Red Star (Krasnaya Zvezda) Kennel during the late 1940s and the early 1950s for use as military/working dogs. At the present time, the Black Russian Terrier is a breed recognized by the FCI (FCI's from September 1983), AKC (AKC's from July 2004), CKC, KC, ANKC, NZKC and other cynological organizations. The contemporary Black Russian Terrier is a working dog, guarding dog, sporting and companion dog.


title: Black Russian Terrier

text: Despite its name, the Black Russian Terrier is not a true terrier: it is believed that about seventeen breeds were used in its development, including the Airedale, the Giant Schnauzer, the Rottweiler, the Newfoundland, the Caucasian Shepherd Dog and other breeds.


title: Black Russian Terrier

text: The Black Russian Terrier was developed in the former USSR in Red Star (Krasnaya Zvezda) Kennel by the state for use as a military/working dogs. The breeding stock was largely imported from countries where the Red Army was active during the Second World War, especially East Germany. Breeds used in the development include the Giant Schnauzer, Airedale Terrier, Rottweiler, Newfoundland, Caucasian Shepherd Dog and other breeds. The Black Russian Terrier was bred for working ability, rather than appearance, and early examples only resembled today's Black Russian Terrier in their build and coat type. They were bred solely by the state owned Red Star Kennel in Moscow until 1957, when some puppies were sold to civilian breeders. These breeders began to breed for looks (as the original was rather plain) while retaining working ability. In time, the breed spread to the other parts of USSR like Saint Petersburg, Siberia, Ukraine and later to the first European country Finland and next to the other European countries: Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Germany and finally to the United States, Canada, Australia and others.


title: Black Russian Terrier

text: In 1955 the first working examples of the breed were put on show at an exhibition in Moscow and the first Breed Standard was published in 1958, which was then adopted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1984. In 1996 The Russian Federation Working Dog-breeders & Russian Kynological Federation (RKF) adopted a second Standard for the breed more in line to the modern day Russian Black Terrier. And it was also in 1996 that the breed was first introduced into the UK. In 1998 The Kennel Club added the Russian Black Terrier to the Import Register.


title: Black Russian Terrier

text: The coat is a double coat with a coarse outer guard hair over a softer undercoat. The coat is hard and dense, never soft, woolly, silky or frizzy. It should be trimmed to between 5 and 15 cm (2–6 inches) in length. It should form a beard and eyebrows on the face, and a slight mane around the withers and neck that is more pronounced in males. The coat is low-shedding and the colour is black or black with some scattered gray hairs.


title: Black Russian Terrier

text: According to the FCI standard the male stands 72 to 76 cm and not more than 78 cm at the withers compared to the female's 68–72 cm and not more than 74 cm. The male weighs between 50 and 60 kg (110-132 lbs), and the females weigh between 45 and 50 kg (99-110 lbs). Nowadays, even larger individuals are tolerated if the dog is well proportioned and retains correct movements. Dogs exhibited by the kennel club are slightly taller by about half an inch.


title: Black Russian Terrier

text: At maturity (over 18 months of age), the AKC standard recommends 27-30 inches for males with the desired height between 27 and 29 inches and 26 and 29 inches for females with the desired height between 26 and 28 inches. A mature male less than 27 inches or more than 30 inches at the withers is considered a serious fault. A mature female less than 26 inches or more than 29 inches at the withers is considered a serious fault. Although the standard also states "Height consideration should not outweigh that of type, proportion, movement and other functional attributes." In proportions, a Black Russian Terrier should be slightly longer than tall, a ratio of 9 ½ to 10 being ideal.


title: Black Russian Terrier

text: Befitting a dog bred for utilitarian purposes, Black Russian Terriers are highly obedient and have remarkable stamina and endurance. Not inclined the blindly befriend strangers, they form a deep rapport with their owners and are extremely biddable. Their intelligence enables them to excel at obedience training and adapt to various activities, from protection training to agility. They are also fearless and confident when dealing with an opponent and make world class guard dogs. For such a large breed, they are very light on their feet and have very quick reflexes. Hallmarking their ancestry as a military breed, the black Russian terrier is not lazy and craves a good challenge; On top of their higher than average need for physical activity, their intelligence means they crave mental enrichment and structure on top of physical activity.


title: Black Russian Terrier

text: The Black Russian Terrier, because of its breeding as a working dog, has a very strong "work ethic", and needs a job to do in order to be happy. Early training is a must and they are very responsive to firm, consistent training, excelling at obedience competitions. They also perform well in other dog sports, such as agility, and Schutzhund training. They have a low-shedding coat, and need grooming several times a week. Dogs who compete in conformation need to be groomed a minimum of every three weeks to keep the coat in show condition. This breed forms a strong bond with a single person and will not thrive if sent to boarding facilities. The young Black Russian Terrier needs much exercise, and may become hyperactive and destructive if not provided an outlet for its energy. Once the dog has reached maturity their energy level decreases dramatically and they are most content laying near their owner.


title: Black Russian Terrier

text: The Black Russian Terrier is a generally healthy and somewhat long-lived dog (lifespan of 9–14 years), however it is prone to certain hereditary diseases:


title: Black Russian Terrier

text: This is why it is extremely important to screen any potential breeders as well as their breeding stock. A well intended breeder will have all health checks on all breeding stock before making the decision to breed their dogs. While health checks on breeding stock can not guarantee a puppy will not develop any health issues later on, it is important to "do your homework" on any potential breeder.


title: Call of Juarez

text: Call of Juarez is a first-person shooter video game series created by Paweł Selinger in 2006. Released primarily on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, there are four games in the series; "Call of Juarez" (2006), "" (2009), "" (2011), and "" (2013). Techland has developed all four games, and as of 2018, owns the publishing rights. From 2006 to 2018, Ubisoft held the publishing rights.


title: Call of Juarez

text: The original game takes place in Texas and Mexico in 1882 and tells the story of Reverend Ray McCall as he hunts down his nephew Billy, who has been wrongly accused of murdering his parents. "Bound in Blood" is a prequel to the first game and takes place in Georgia, Arkansas, Arizona, and Mexico from 1864 to 1866. It tells the story of how Ray and his brother Thomas went from being soldiers in the Confederate States Army to dangerous outlaws. "The Cartel" relocates the series from a Wild West "milieu" to 2011 Los Angeles and Mexico and depicts an interagency task force investigating a powerful Mexican drug cartel. This decision proved unpopular amongst fans, however, and "Gunslinger" returned to the West. Taking place from 1880 to 1910, and spread across Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico Territory, Wyoming, and Mexico, it tells the story of bounty hunter Silas Greaves and his encounters with many of the legends of the Wild West, including Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and the Dalton Gang.


title: Call of Juarez

text: From a gameplay perspective, all four games are first-person shooters, and feature several common game mechanics, such as "Concentration mode" (a slow motion technique which is slightly different from game to game) and duelling (in "Bound in Blood" and "Gunslinger", duelling switches the game to a third-person perspective). The first three games in the series offer different player characters. For "Gunslinger", there is only one player character, but the game does feature experience point-based skill trees which allow the player to customise their fighting style as they progress.


title: Call of Juarez

text: Critically, reactions to the games have been mixed, ranging from general praise for "Bound in Blood" and "Gunslinger" to universal condemnation for "The Cartel". In terms of sales, the original game did not sell well in North America, moving only 137,000 units across both PC and Xbox 360. However, its European sales were considerably better, with Techland crediting the game as putting them "on the map". "Bound in Blood" sold better, moving 900,000 units across all systems in its first four months of release. "Gunslinger" also sold well, and was Ubisoft's second best selling digital-only game of 2013.


title: Call of Juarez

text: All four "Call of Juarez" games are first-person shooters. In the original game, the player controls alternating protagonists level-by-level - Billy 'Candle' and Ray McCall, each of whom has a different style of gameplay. Billy's levels are partially stealth-based, whereas Ray's are more traditional shoot 'em ups. In "", the player controls one of two protagonists - Ray McCall or his brother Thomas. Like in the first game, the two characters have different gameplay styles, but unlike in the first game, most levels offer the choice of which character to play as. The character which the player does not choose is controlled by the AI for the duration of the level. In "", the player controls one of three protagonists - Det. Ben McCall (LAPD), Agent Kim Evans (FBI), or Agent Eddie Guerra (DEA). The two characters whom the player does not choose are controlled either by the AI or by human player(s) in co-op mode. Whichever player the character picks at the start of the game, they must play through the whole game with that character. Playing as specific characters often results in different cutscenes and in-game dialogue. In "", there is only one player character available - the bounty hunter Silas Greaves.


title: Call of Juarez

text: In the original game, the main difference between Ray and Billy is that Ray is stronger and slower, and can take considerably more damage than Billy. On the other hand, Billy can sneak up on enemies and perform silent kills. Billy can also use two weapons that Ray cannot - a bow and a whip. When he uses the bow, the game automatically goes into slow motion for a set period of time. The whip is weak as a weapon, and is mainly used to aid Billy when climbing. Unique to Ray is his ability to rapid-fire a single pistol (fanning) and his ability to wield and quote from a Bible.


title: Call of Juarez

text: In "Bound in Blood", the biggest difference between Ray and Thomas is that Thomas can aim farther than Ray, but Ray is faster with pistols, which he can dual wield, and is quicker when aiming at nearby enemies. Ray can use two weapons that Thomas cannot – a dismountable gatling gun and throwable dynamite. Thomas can use three weapons that Ray cannot – a lasso, a bow, and throwing knives. When Thomas uses the bow, the player has the option of going into slow motion for more precise aiming, or firing in normal speed.


title: Call of Juarez

text: In "The Cartel", the difference between the three characters pertains to their weaponry. McCall gets a damage bonus when using handguns and heavy machine guns, whilst his speciality skill is rapid reloading of handguns. Evans gets a damage bonus when using rifles and sniper rifles, whilst her speciality skill is enhanced focus when zoomed in. Guerra gets a damage bonus when using light machine guns and shotguns, whilst his speciality skill is the ability to dual wield SMGs.


title: Call of Juarez

text: In "Gunslinger", although there is only one player character, the game features an upgrade system which allows the player to customise Silas's fighting style. Every kill in the game is rewarded with experience points, and the player can increase their haul by achieving combos; multiple kills in quick succession which increase the combo score by one for each kill. These experience points allow the player to level up their skills via three skill trees; Gunslinger (focuses on pistols), Ranger (rifles), and Trapper (shotguns). After beating the game, the player can start a New Game+, carrying over their unlocked skills, which allows them to continue unlocking upgrades.


title: Call of Juarez

text: All four games feature some kind of slow motion attack, aka "Concentration mode". In the original game, the player can activate concentration mode when playing as Ray. During combat, when he draws either handgun, concentration mode is automatically activated, and the game goes into slow motion, with two targeting reticles appearing on either side of the screen, each moving towards the centre. The player cannot control the movement of either reticle, nor can they move the character during concentration mode, but they can control the positioning of the screen, allowing them to manoeuvre Ray's stance to shoot when the reticles pass over an enemy.


title: Call of Juarez

text: In "Bound in Blood", there are three types of concentration modes, which are available once the player has filled their concentration meter by killing enemies. In Ray's mode, once slow motion begins, Ray is free to rotate 360 degrees from a fixed position. If the crosshairs pass over an enemy, that enemy will be "tagged". Once the time is up, Ray automatically fires at all tagged enemies with near-perfect accuracy. In Thomas's concentration mode, the crosshairs automatically move from visible enemy to visible enemy, pausing on each one momentarily. As the crosshairs move, the player must hold down the fire button, and when the crosshairs pause, the player must pull back on the analog stick or mouse to fire at the target. The third type of concentration mode is dual concentration, which happens automatically at certain points of the game, always at doorways. Ray and Thomas simultaneously burst into the room, and the game goes into slow motion, operating in the same manner as Ray's concentration mode from the first game.


title: Call of Juarez

text: "The Cartel" features two types of concentration modes. Irrespective of the character, players charge their concentration metre by killing enemies, and once the meter is full, they can activate concentration mode at any time. When they do, time slows down dramatically, but the player can still pivot, shoot, and reload at near-normal speed. In co-op play, when one player triggers their concentration mode, it also triggers for all other human players. The second type of concentration mode is dual concentration, which happens automatically at certain points in the game, always at doorways. The player character and one of the AI characters (or two player characters in co-op mode) simultaneously burst into the room, and the game goes into slow motion for several seconds.


title: Call of Juarez

text: In "Gunslinger" there are multiple types of concentration modes. The standard mode is charged by killing enemies, and once activated, the game goes into slow motion and all enemies are automatically highlighted in red. Other forms of concentration mode include falls, door breaches, Quick Time Events (QTEs), and "Sense of Death". Falls and door breaches work the same way as normal concentration mode, except they automatically happen at certain locations irrespective of whether the player's concentration meter is charged. QTEs also happen automatically. Silas will automatically target an enemy and the player is required to press a specific button to shoot and kill that enemy. If done correctly, the reticle will automatically jump to the next enemy, and so on. For Sense of Death, as the player avoids game over, they fill their Sense of Death meter. When this meter is full, it will automatically activate when Silas is one shot away from death. When that shot is taken, the game will go into slow motion and the player can dodge left or right to try to avoid the fatal bullet.


title: Call of Juarez

text: In the original game's duels, the player must wait for a countdown, at which point the enemy will reach for their weapon. Only then can Ray draw his own gun and fire. To draw Ray's gun, the player must move the mouse/analog stick downwards and then snap it upwards, at which point a reticule appears on screen which can be controlled as normal. Character movement during duels is limited to leaning left and right.


title: Call of Juarez

text: In "Bound in Blood", duels switch the game to third-person, with the player needing to keep the character's hand as close to his gun as possible without touching it. At the same time, the player needs to keep the opponent lined up in the centre of the screen. When the time comes to draw, a bell rings, and the player must draw, aim, and fire as quickly as possible.


title: Call of Juarez

text: In "Gunslinger", duels also switch the game to third-person. The player must keep the constantly moving target over the enemy to increase their focus, and the higher the focus percentage, the smaller the gauge gets and the more precise the shot will be when taken. At the same time, the player must keep Silas's hand as close to his gun as possible to increase their speed, and the higher the speed percentage, the quicker the gun will be drawn. The player has two options in every duel - they can draw before their opponent and get a lower-scoring dishonourable kill or wait until the opponent has drawn and get a higher-scoring honourable kill.


title: Call of Juarez

text: The original game's PC multiplayer mode features "Deathmatch", "Skirmish" (team deathmatch), "Robbery" (the team designated as "Outlaws" must find the hidden gold and return it to an "escape zone" without being caught by the team designated as "Lawmen"), and "Gold Rush" (gold is spread over the map; at the end of a specified time, the player who has collected the most gold wins). The Xbox 360 version also features "Capture the Bag", "Wanted" (one player is randomly designated as the "wanted" player, and other players can only score points by killing this particular player. Once the wanted player is killed, the player who killed them becomes the wanted player. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins), and "Famous Events" (game scenarios based on real-life events, such as the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, the Wilcox Train Robbery, and the Coffeyville Bank Robbery).


title: Call of Juarez

text: "Bound in Blood"s multiplayer mode features "Shootout" (deathmatch), "Posse" (team deathmatch), "Wanted", "Manhunt" (team "wanted" game in which one player is randomly designated as the wanted player. If they survive sixty seconds, their team scores a point. If they are killed, the player who killed them becomes the wanted player. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins), and "Wild West Legends" (game scenarios based on real-life events, such as the Battle of Antietam, the Coffeyville Bank Robbery, the Frisco Shootout, the Skeleton Canyon shootout, and the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.


title: Call of Juarez

text: "The Cartel"s multiplayer mode features two types of multiplayer; cooperative and competitive. Cooperative gameplay allow up to three players team up to complete campaign missions. Competitive mode is traditional player v. player with two gametypes available - "Objective Based" and "Team Deathmatch". Both gametypes use a "cop v. criminal" system, where one team is the cops and the other is the criminals. In objective-based gameplay, players set out to either engage in criminal activity, or prevent the other team from doing so, with a series of objectives to be completed or prevented.


title: Call of Juarez

text: "Call of Juarez" originated in 2004 and was intended as a fast-paced arcade-style first-person shooter. However, within the first few months of development, Techland changed the core gameplay; according to producer Paweł Zawodny,


title: Call of Juarez

text: The designers were especially keen to make a specifically Western-themed first-person shooter, as they felt the FPS genre had become overly dominated by World War II and science fiction games.


title: Call of Juarez

text: In relation to the game's graphics, "Call of Juarez" used the third iteration of Techland's in-house game engine, the Chrome Engine. For Chrome Engine 3, Techland had been working with nVidia to incorporate Shader Model 3.0, and this version of the engine allowed for per-pixel lighting and rendering techniques such as normal mapping, Phong shading, Blinn lighting, virtual displacement mapping, shadow mapping, HDR environment mapping, and post-processing effects such as enhanced depth of field, light blooms, refraction and heat distortion. The engine also facilitated wind effects, alterations to object properties when interacting with liquids, Shader Model 3.0-based simulation and animation of vegetation, fumes and smoke, and changes in daytime and the position of global lighting.


title: Call of Juarez

text: The game's script was written by Haris Orkin and Paweł Selinger (who also served as the game's lead designer and lead artist). Selinger came up with the basic plot outline and characters, and Orkin wrote the dialogue and story specifics. He and Selinger cite John Ford's "The Searchers" (1956), Henry Hathaway's "Nevada Smith" (1966), and Clint Eastwood's "Pale Rider" (1985) and "Unforgiven" (1992) as influencing the tone of the game, with the character of Ray partially inspired by Will Munny (Clint Eastwood) in "Unforgiven". The character also drew inspiration from the Saint of Killers character from Garth Ennis's "Preacher" series (1995-2000), and Ennis's "Just a Pilgrim" (2001). Visually, Ray was based on Carl McCoy, lead singer of Fields of the Nephilim.


title: Call of Juarez

text: The Microsoft Windows version of the game was released in Europe in September 2006 and Australia in October 2006. The North American version was not released until June 2007, having been delayed so as to be released alongside the Xbox 360 port. Techland used this time to make some changes to the game; unlike the European version, the North American version was optimised for DirectX 10, one of the first PC games to feature such optimisation. Shortly after the North American release, Techland released a DirectX 10 enhancement patch for all versions of the game, adding such elements as geometry shaders, dynamic shadows, high dynamic range lighting, and parallax occlusion mapping.


title: Call of Juarez

text: The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in June 2007. Comparing this version to the original PC version prior to the DirectX 10 patch, Zawodny said there would be a considerable graphical improvement; "we squeezed as much as possible from the Xbox 360's vertex and pixel shaders. There's high dynamic range lighting, hardware anti-aliasing, bump mapping on almost everything, relief mapping on many objects, and subsurface scattering, just to mention a few technical terms". He also revealed the Xbox version would feature three new single-player missions with their own self-contained story, a duel mode whereby the player can duel with enemies from the campaign, and additional multiplayer modes and maps. Additionally, Techland rebuilt some of Billy's levels (including the game's opening level), cutting back on the stealth elements and incorporating more action-focused chase scenes.


title: Call of Juarez

text: Although the first game did not sell well in North America, its European sales were much better, and a second game, "Bound in Blood", was announced in January 2009 for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The developers had taken on board the most common criticisms of the first game (mainly concerning the platforming and stealth sections), whilst enhancing the mechanics of the original that received the most praise, namely Ray's gameplay.


title: Call of Juarez

text: Using Chrome Engine 4, the game would feature considerable graphical improvements over the original, with lead product manager Paweł Kopiński stating, "we've managed to achieve increased performance allowing for even more polygons on screen and advanced special effects. Unlike Chrome Engine 3, Chrome Engine 4 used deferred rendering, which allowed for more advanced lighting and post-processing effects. It was also the first iteration of the engine with "true multi-platform support."


title: Call of Juarez

text: Discussing inspirations for the game, Kopiński stated, "it can't be simply categorized as either a Spaghetti Western or a realistic Western. It's a blend of the best elements from both." According to co-writer Haris Orkin, "it's probably closer now to a Spaghetti Western than a classic John Ford western [...] I guess I would call it a post-modern western along the lines of "Unforgiven" or "The Wild Bunch"." Specific influences included Sergio Leone's "Dollars Trilogy" and "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968), James Mangold's "" (2007), and Ed Harris's "Appaloosa" (2008). The team also drew inspiration from real life, with Orkin stating, "many of the actual outlaws of the time were former confederate soldiers; Jesse James and his brothers, the Youngers. Archie Clement. So the McCalls were based somewhat on those actual outlaws."


title: Call of Juarez

text: When dealing with this period of history, Orkin and Techland approached it with serious intentions, striving to be as historically accurate as possible and deal with some of the real issues of the day, irrespective of whether such issues remain controversial today. Orkin states, "we talk about the white suppression of Native Americans, specifically the Apache, and how that fueled their anger [...] we deal with issues like racism, slavery, and the oppression of Native Americans and Mexicans in south Texas. Once you go into those worlds and create a story around them, to skirt those truths or pretend they don't exist does them a disservice."


title: Call of Juarez

text: "Bound in Blood" sold considerably better than the original game (over 1 million units) and "The Cartel" was announced in February 2011. For the first time in the series, the game would be set in the modern day, with Ubisoft's director of marketing, Adam Novickas, stating, "the game will bring the best elements of the Wild West into modern times." This relocation, however, was met with skepticism. After a non-playable demo was shown at PAX in March, "IGN"s Martin Robinson wrote, "it looks like "Call of Juarez" has ditched its one point of distinction, exposing an insipid shooter that's lost a fistful of charm in the process." Similarly, "GameSpot"s Jane Douglas wrote, "as unlikely decisions go, setting a Wild West franchise's third installment in 21st-century Los Angeles and Mexico ranks on par with a disco-era "Prince of Persia" reboot."


title: Call of Juarez

text: Techland's project coordinator, Błażej Krakowiak, explained the relocation; "we moved the franchise to a modern setting because we felt the Wild West values and experience are universal." When asked by "GameSpot" what he would say to fans who weren't happy with the change, he said, "you should trust us. This is a great western game." Ubisoft further explained,


title: Call of Juarez

text: The game was built using Chrome Engine 5, and according to the developers, several individual levels, such as one set in a packed nightclub, feature more assets than the entirety of "Bound in Blood". The engine allowed for advanced screen space ambient occlusion, custom anti-aliasing, and texture filtering, with anisotropic filtering allowing for smoother transitions between mipmap levels. The engine can also handle complex and dynamic lightshafts and features advanced A-buffering.


title: Call of Juarez

text: After "The Cartel" flopped both financially and critically, Ubisoft sent an email through UPlay to registered owners the game, asking them which "Call of Juarez" game was their favourite and how would they rate "The Cartel" itself. The email also included a series of gameplay set-pieces, asking players which they'd most like to see in an "as yet unannounced" game.


title: Call of Juarez

text: "Gunslinger" was announced in September 2012, with Ubisoft emphasising that the game would feature legendary Wild West figures such as Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, Wyatt Earp, Butch Cassidy, and Jesse James, and that for the first time in the series, an experience point-based skill progression system would be utilised. Addressing why the team had returned to the Wild West after setting "The Cartel" in the modern-day, Krakowiak stated, "we did so for a number of reasons, but basically because of what we've heard from fans and the fact that we're ready to believe that this is where the series belongs." At PAX 2013, Ubisoft brand manager Aymeric Evennou echoed Krakowiak; "this is where the brand belongs. We tried something else, but now we're fully dedicated to please the fans." Indeed, Techland knew another subpar game would kill the franchise, with design expert Xavier Penin, who also contributed to the script, stating, "we were on a mission to save the "Call of Juarez" brand, literally."


title: Call of Juarez

text: In terms of the game's narrative, which is self-consciously a mixture of fact and fiction, the team tried to narrow down what makes this period of history so specific, and "what we came up was the stories, the legends, the mixture between myth and truth. So we really focused on the storytelling and narration." The outline of the story was conceived by producer Krzysztof Nosek and writer Rafał W. Orkan, who brought it to Haris Orkin, without characters or specific story elements in place. Wanting the actual narration to be as important as the narrative, they told Orkin that the storyline needed to be structured like "Bastion", whereby things in the game world would change in front of the players' eyes, based upon what was being said in the narration. Orkin loved the idea, as it paralleled how the legends of the West were formed in the first place - myths and exaggeration overtook fact and reality, and so the question of truth versus embellishment became a major part of the story; "we decided our narrator would be unreliable and that the world would change as the story changed. I thought that perfectly mimicked how the history of the West was written in the first place." Orkin was particularly inspired by John Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962) and Arthur Penn's "Little Big Man" (1970), both of which deal with myths overtaking reality in the public consciousness. A quote from "Liberty Valance", "when the legend becomes fact, print the legend", became a central idea in Orkin's script.


title: Call of Juarez

text: The original game received mixed reviews. Most critics praised Ray's levels and the general shooting mechanics, but found Billy's levels significantly inferior, especially the platforming sections and the implementation of the whip. Many critics were impressed with how the game recreated an authentic Western tone, and Marc Alaimo's voice acting as Ray was generally lauded. "Eurogamer"s Kieron Gillen called the PC version "as good a cowboy shooter as I've played", whilst Tom Bramwell felt the Xbox 360 version "has given new life to an area of the FPS genre where tons of developers have given up". "PALGN"s Mark Morrow called the PC version a "remarkably enjoyable game." "GameSpot"s Alex Navarro called it "a well-made genre exercise." "IGN"s Dan Adams was more critical, arguing that "solid basic shooting mechanics aren't enough to make a passable game good." "Official Xbox Magazine"s Cameron Lewis felt that "there's nothing to distinguish it from the rest of the shooter crowd."


title: Call of Juarez

text: "Bound in Blood" received generally favorable reviews. Most critics found it substantially better than the original, with many praising the plot, the shooting mechanics, and the voice acting. Criticism tended to focus on poor enemy AI, repetitive level design, and, the lack of any kind of co-op. "CVG"s Richard Cobbett called it "an outstanding FPS." "GameSpot"s Randolph Ramsay found it to be "tense, riveting, and superb-looking" and "an almost cinematic experience." "PALGN"s Michael Kontoudis called it "the best videogame Western ever made." On the other hand, "Eurogamer"s Oli Walsh argued, "it's far too unvaried a shooting gallery to earn an unhesitating recommendation." "Official Xbox Magazine"s Taylor Cocke called it "fairly well-done but somewhat basic." "GameSpy"s Eric Neigher argued that "there's nothing's particularly outstanding or original here."


title: Call of Juarez

text: "The Cartel" received negative reviews. Common criticisms included poorly implanted mechanics, a cliched storyline, underdeveloped characters, inconsistent audio, error-filled subtitles, tone-deaf racial and gender stereotypes, and poor graphics. In particular, the game's glitches and lack of technical polish received a lot of negative attention. "Game Informer"s Dan Ryckert called it "generic at best, broken at worst." "IGN"s Anthony Gallegos argued, "it's not the worst shooter I've played, but it's got all the problems of a budget title and few redeeming qualities." "Official Xbox Magazine"s Andrew Hayward found it demonstrated "a lack of care and an inattention to detail." "PC Gamer"s Tom Senior called it "a steaming turd", "bland, repetitive, and dull," and "brainless, generic and devoid of personality." "Destructoid"s Jim Sterling wrote that the game is "a sloppy serving from people who should know better, and ought to be ashamed of themselves."


title: Call of Juarez

text: "Gunslinger" received positive reviews. Critics praised the storytelling, the fast-paced arcade-style shooting, and the voice acting. Criticisms focused on a predictable "denouement" and shallow boss battles. "Destructoid"s Jim Sterling called it "the best "Call of Juarez" game, [and] a damn fine and worthy shooter in its own right." "GameSpot"s Mark Watson called it a "remarkable shooter", "a breath of fresh air," and "tight and controlled." "IGN"s Colin Moriarty argued that "it has a lot of charm." "GamesRadar+"s Lorenzo Veloria felt that for "those who want a solid Western shooter with exhilarating mechanics, you'll want to give this game a try."


title: Call of Juarez

text: The original game did not sell well in North America, moving only 137,000 units across both PC and Xbox 360. Its European sales were considerably better, with Techland crediting the game as putting them on the map as a globally recognised developer. "Bound in Blood" was a commercial success. In its first four days of North American release, it sold 24,000 units on the Xbox 360 and 20,000 units on the PlayStation 3. In the United Kingdom, it entered the charts at #6, rising the following month to #4. By the end of September, the game had sold 900,000 units across all systems, making it one of Ubisoft's best selling titles for the first half of the fiscal year. "Gunslinger" was the third best-selling PSN title in May 2013, coming behind "" and "Terraria". In July, Ubisoft released its first quarterly financial report, in which they revealed that digital downloads were up 27% from the same time period the previous year. They cited the strong sales of "Blood Dragon" and "Gunslinger".


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is located west of the central business district of Glendale, and west of Phoenix.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Luke AFB is a major training base of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC), training pilots in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. On 31 March 2011 it was announced that the F-35 Lightning II would replace the F-16 as the primary training aircraft at Luke, although the date of deployment of the new aircraft to Luke and reorganization plans were not announced. On 16 July 2013, the Air Force announced that Luke AFB will house a total of 144 F-35A Lightning IIs.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Luke Air Force Base was named after Second Lieutenant Frank Luke (1897–1918). Lt Luke is a posthumous Medal of Honor recipient and the number two United States flying ace in World War I.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Born in Phoenix in 1897, the "Arizona Balloon Buster" scored 18 aerial victories during World War I (14 of these German observation balloons) in the skies over France. Lieutenant Luke was shot down at Murvaux between Verdun and Stenay, France, on 29 September 1918, after he had destroyed three enemy balloons. Surviving the crash of his SPAD S.XIII, Lieutenant Luke drew two pistols and fired on German soldiers, killing several of them before he was killed.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Luke Field, Oahu, Hawaii Territory (now the Naval Air Station Ford Island) was previously named in his honor.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In 1940, the U.S. Army sent a representative to Arizona to choose a site for a U.S. Army Air Corps training field for advanced training in conventional fighter aircraft. The city of Phoenix bought of land which they leased to the government at $1 a year effective 24 March 1941. On 29 March 1941, the Del. E. Webb Construction Co. began excavation for the first building at what was known then as Litchfield Park Air Base. Another base known as Luke Field, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, released its name so the Arizona base could be called Luke Field. Advanced flight training in the AT-6 Texan began at Luke in June that same year. The first class of 45 students, Class 41 F, arrived on 6 June 1941 to begin advanced flight training in the AT-6, although a few essential buildings had been completed. Flying out of Sky Harbor Airport until the Luke runways were ready, pilots received ten weeks of instruction and the first class graduated 15 August 1941. Then-captain Barry Goldwater served as director of ground training the following year.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: During World War II, Luke Field was the largest fighter training base in the U.S. Army Air Forces, graduating more than 12,000 fighter pilots from advanced and operational courses earning the nickname "Home of the Fighter Pilot".


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The base was under the control of the 37th Flying Training Wing (Advanced Single-Engine), Western Flying Training Command, AAF Flying Training Command. During the years of World War II, more than 17,000 pilots trained at Luke Field, making it the largest single engine advanced flying training school in the U.S. More than a million hours of flying were logged, primarily in the AT-6 Texan, along with some transitioning to P-40 Warhawk fighters and later the P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Although continually modified during the war years, the course of advanced flight training at Luke averaged about 10 weeks and included both flight training and ground school. Approximately 60 hours of flying instruction covered formation flying, navigation, and instrument flying, as well as a bit of aerial acrobatics. About 20 additional hours of flight practice concentrated on aerial and gunnery training.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Ground school, or classroom training for the advanced flying course, varied from about 100 to 130 hours and was intermingled with flight time in the aircraft. Cadets flew in the morning and attended ground school in the afternoons, or flew training missions in the afternoon after a morning of ground school. At the peak of the training program at Luke, some students were required to attend night classes. Ground school included instruction in navigation, flight planning, radio equipment, maintenance, and weather.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: By 7 February 1944, pilots at Luke had achieved a million hours of flying time. By 1946, however, the number of pilots trained dropped to 299 and the base was deactivated 30 November that year.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Soon after combat started in Korea, Luke field was reactivated on 1 February 1951 as Luke Air Force Base, part of the Air Training Command (ATC) under the reorganized United States Air Force (USAF). A steady pipeline of trained bomber-escort pilots was needed by Strategic Air Command (SAC), and the mission of Luke AFB was to augment the jet fighter combat crew training in operation at Nellis AFB. The school at Luke was designated by ATC as the USAF Air Crew School (Fighter Bomber/Escort).


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The program was to be conducted by the Federalized Michigan Air National Guard 127th Fighter Group, which had transferred from Continental Air Command to ATC, effective 10 February. The wing moved from Romulus Airport, Michigan, to Luke on 23 February, and on 1 March ATC established the USAF Air Crew School (Fighter-Bomber/Escort) at Luke. Fighter-bomber training began on 1 March 1951 in the P-51 Mustang, being replaced by early-model F-84C Thunderjets.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Effective 5 March, the 127th was redesignated as the 127th Pilot Training Wing. On 1 November 1952, the active-duty 3600th Flying Training Wing (Fighter), under Commander Charles F. Born, replaced the Air National Guardsmen. ATC flying training squadrons at Luke included:


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The 3600th FTW became the dedicated training organization for both USAF and NATO pilots in the F-84. The F-84D began having electrical problems with the hot, dry Arizona air which dried out the aircraft's electrical insulation. They were replaced by F-84E, and shortly afterwards to the F-84G which was then in use by SAC. In October 1954, ATC re-designated the 3600th as a "Combat Crew Training Wing" to describe its mission better.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In January 1954, the swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak began to arrive, and three additional dedicated squadrons were activated:


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: F-84Fs replaced the straight-winged earlier models in the original four squadrons by the end of 1956, giving the wing seven squadrons of 21 aircraft each, or about 150 aircraft. 30 more were received in 1957 as some of the older production blocks were transferred to Air National Guard units or to reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: For several years, the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project at Sandia Base, New Mexico, had provided all atomic, biological, and chemical (ABC) warfare training for the USAF. Beginning in October 1954, ATC added ABC instruction to its fighter pilot programs at Luke and Nellis. In addition, ATC established six general ABC courses to train aircrews already in the field, using mobile training teams.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: On 25 May 1953 the 3600th Air Demonstration Team was officially organized and established at Luke, still officially carrying this designation, now known as the United States Air Force Thunderbirds. At Luke, the squadron initially operated F-84G Thunderjets, as the aircraft had to be able to show how good training made a typical aircraft easy to handle. The aircraft had to be stable for maneuvers in formation, reliable enough to meet show schedules, rugged for the demonstration team. In addition, the F-84G was the first fighter in the USAF with aerial refueling capability. To convert the aircraft from combat to demonstration, technicians removed the guns and plugged the gun ports.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In 1955, the USAF selected the swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak as their second aircraft. The Thunderstreak was modified for the team by adding smoke tanks for the first time, and red, white, and blue drag chutes. In addition, the extreme heat from the lead aircraft, , required moving the slot's radio antenna from the jet's fin. For the first time, a solo was added to the diamond displays, increasing the show time to 19 minutes.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: By the end of 1957, ATC basing structure had changed considerably as the result of tactical commitments, decreased student load, and fund shortages. During 1958 ATC discontinued its Flying Training and Technical Training Air Force. As a result, Luke AFB was transferred to Tactical Air Command (TAC). This reassignment came about as the result of a USAF-directed study of the feasibility of putting combat crew training under the appropriate zone of interior operational commands.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: With the transfer to TAC, the ATC 3600th FTW was re-designated as the 4510th Combat Crew Training Wing, and flying training at Luke was changed to the F-100 Super Sabre. F-100 training squadrons were:


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: During the 1960s, thousands of American fighter pilots left Luke to carve their niche in the annals of USAF history in the skies over Vietnam in the F-100. In July 1968, the first "LA" tail codes were placed on the tails of Luke-based aircraft.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing replaced the provisional 4510th CCTW on 15 October 1969. Although Luke remained under the jurisdiction of Tactical Air Command, the HQ USAF-controlled (AFCON) 58th TFTW gave the wing at Luke a permanent lineage and history that the TAC provisional wing could not carry.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Upon activation of the 310th TFTS, the squadron began receiving new A-7D Corsair II ground attack aircraft from Ling-Temco-Vought, with a mission to train USAF pilots in the new aircraft. Its F-100s were reassigned to other squadrons which flew the F-100s of the 4510th CCTS. The 310th TFTS sent its A-7Ds to the 333d TFS at Davis-Monthan AFB in July 1971, and became an F-4C RTU.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The 425th TFTS was assigned to the 58th as a Geographically Separate Unit in 1969, assigned to Williams AFB. The squadron was established in December 1963 as the 4441st CCTS, with a mission to train Republic of Vietnam Air Force pilots on the Northrup F-5A Freedom Fighter. The F-5 training continued at Williams after the end of the Vietnam War, becoming a squadron to train Military Assistance Program (MAP) pilots from over 20 nations on the F-5. It was discontinued in 1989 and the 425th was inactivated.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In the summer of 1971, the 58th TFTW received F-4C Phantom IIs, and the wing assumed the F-4 pilot training role that was formerly done by the 4453d CCTW at Davis-Monthan, when that base was converted to an operational A-7D base by the arrival of the 355th TFW from Takhli RTAFB, Thailand.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In November 1974, the Air Force's newest air superiority fighter, the F-15 Eagle, came to Luke. To accommodate the F-15, the 555th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron was activated. The early F-15As, however, were quite troublesome, with engine problems limiting their effectiveness and also their availability.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: It was not until June 1976 that a second F-15 training squadron was established, with the 4461st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron standing up on 23 June. The assets of the 4461st TFTS were re-designated as: 461st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron: 1 July 1977. The 550th TFTS traded in its F-4s in August 1977 becoming the third F-15 training squadron. The F-15As, which remained troublesome throughout the 1970s, were replaced in 1982 with the updated F-15D.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: On 25 August 1979, the 405th Tactical Training Wing was activated at Luke by Tactical Air Command to consolidate the F-15 Eagle Replacement Training Unit (RTU) operations. It took over the 425th, 461st 550th and 555th Tactical Fighter Training Squadrons


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The 426th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron converted from F-4 Phantom II to F-15 training in January 1981 specifically to support the TAC Air Defense Command (ADTAC) training mission inherited from the inactivated Aerospace Defense Command which was merged into TAC. On 19 November 1990, the 555th TFTS changed its course from air superiority combat training with the Eagle to air defense interceptor training with the F-15C/D when TAC began assigning F-15s to interceptor duty, the 426th being inactivated.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The 461st TFTS received its first F-15E Strike Eagle in July 1988, and the 550th TFTS became the second F-15E training squadron in March 1989.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: On 1 October 1991, due to the implementation of the Objective Wing at Luke and the "One base, one wing" policy, the 405th TTW was shut down and the F-15s were reassigned back to the 58th TTW.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In 1993, 1st Lt Jeannie M. Flynn became the first woman to complete training in the F-15E Strike Eagle at Luke. After earning a master's degree in aerospace engineering from Stanford University, she graduated first in her UPT class at Laughlin AFB in December 1992, and chose the F-15 after USAF Chief of Staff General Merrill McPeak opened the door for women to fly combat aircraft.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The 310th and 311th TFTS retained their F-4Cs until April 1982, ending the Phantom era at Luke, receiving Block 1 F-16A Fighting Falcons in November 1982 and April 1983. Luke-based F-16s began carrying tail codes "LF". 310th TFTS officially began training fighter pilots 2 February 1983.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In 1990 Luke AFB was placed on the National Priorities List, often called the Superfund list in 1990. After many years of cleanup and remediation, on 22 April 2002 became the first USAF base to be removed from the list, after satisfying the requirement to remove pollution dating back as far as World War II.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s brought significant changes to the base. On 1 October 1991, the 58th Tactical Training Wing adopted the Air Force Objective Organization Plan, and was re-designated simply as the 58th Fighter Wing (58 FW). All operational fighter training squadrons were reassigned to the new 58th Operations Group (58 OG). Training units also re-designated as "Fighter Squadrons". Units assigned to the 58 OG were:


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In 1991, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission ordered that all flightline activities cease at MacDill AFB by 1993. The host unit at MacDill AFB, the 56th Fighter Wing, would move its F-16 training to Luke AFB, and Luke would be an exclusive F-16 Fighting Falcon training base. The F-15s would be reassigned to Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina in order to accommodate additional F-16 training at Luke.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In addition, the 58th Fighter Wing would be inactivated and moved to Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, with the historical senior 56th FW taking over all assets at Luke. At Kirtland, the wing would be re designated as the 58th Special Operations Wing, leaving all aircraft and equipment at Luke, and be reassigned to Air Force Special Operations Command, replacing the Air Training Command 542d Crew Training Wing.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: On 1 June 1992, Tactical Air Command was inactivated, and the new Air Combat Command (ACC) replaced it, assuming jurisdiction of Luke AFB.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: On 30 December 1992, the 425th Fighter Squadron was activated at Luke AFB. The mission of the 425th was to provide advanced weapons and tactics continuation for Republic of Singapore Air Force's F-16 pilots and maintenance personnel. Aircraft had already arrived for the squadron in October and shortly after in the new year pilot training began in January 1993.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: On 1 April 1994, after 24 years at Luke AFB, the 58th Fighter Wing was replaced by the 56th Fighter Wing (56 FW), relocated from MacDill AFB, Floridas due to Base Realignment and Closure Commission action, as part of the Air Force Heritage Program. With the reassignment, jurisdiction of Luke AFB was transferred to Air Education and Training Command (AETC), Nineteenth Air Force (19 AF) as a result of the Air Force deciding to consolidate all Air Force training programs under AETC. The 56th Operations Group assumed control over all operational fighter squadrons.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The transfer of Luke to Air Education and Training Command gave the command front-line aircraft, bases and facilities that could be used for realistic operational training. With the return of AETC to Luke, it was possible to produce a task-certified or more mission ready apprentice, operational units could reduce the amount of on-the-job training provided to new airmen.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Within a year, the wing realignment to make the 56 OG an exclusive F-16 group took place. The 555th Fighter Squadron was reassigned to USAFE on 25 March 1994 as part of a realignment of Aviano AB, Italy; its F-15C/D Eagles being sent to Tyndall AFB, Florida where F-15 air defense interceptor training was being consolidated under First Air Force. The F-15E Strike Eagle squadrons (461st, 550th) were also inactivated, with their Strike Eagles being sent to Seymour Johnson AFB under the 4th Fighter Wing.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: F-15 training ended with the last "LA" tail coded F-15 (Luke Arizona) leaving on 26 September 1995 when the 550th Fighter Squadron inactivated, 21 years after the first TF-15A arrived at Luke.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: With the transfer of the Eagles, additional F-16 training units were assigned to the 56 OG, all tail-coded "LF" (Luke Falcons):


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The 21st Fighter Squadron was activated on 8 August 1996 to train Taiwanese Republic of China Air Force F-16A/B crews at Luke AFB. Empty hangars were refurbished and aircrews were pulled in from other units on base. By January 1997 several ROCAF F-16A/B block 20s had been delivered and the first training flights began for their crews. Despite being A/B models, the aircraft were new construction from General Dynamics, with modern avionics and engines, and were considered to be more advanced than the F-16C/Ds being flown from Luke AFB. The aircraft carry USAF markings and serial numbers, and also the "LF" tail code.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: On 20 September 1999, an F-16D crashed at Luke AFB, marking the 56th Fighter Wing's seventh Class A mishap in FY99. In all cases, the pilots ejected safely. Engine problems caused most of the mishaps. The 56th Fighter Wing commander, Brig. Gen. John Barry, grounded the wing's F-16s after the second mishap. Maintenance personnel discovered that engine augmentor ducts had failed in both cases. They developed a new inspection procedure to identify cracks, which was subsequently used throughout the Air Force. A manufacturing defect in turbine blades was responsible for many of the mishaps, and General Barry grounded the fleet a second time to allow maintainers to upgrade the turbine blades, which improved safety.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: On 8 March 2000, it was noted that the 50,000th fighter pilot had graduated from Luke AFB, Arizona, since the Army Air Forces started training at this location in July 1941.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: After the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, Luke suspended routine flying training operations, as the Federal Aviation Administration shut down the nation's airways to all but select military flights. Aircraft of the 56th Fighter Wing were deployed to fly combat air patrols over New York City and Washington, D.C. in the immediate aftermath of the attacks in support of Operation Noble Eagle. Although the 56th Fighter Wing does not deploy aircraft to United States Air Forces Central Command Expeditionary units as part of the Global War on Terrorism, Luke Airmen routinely deploy to USAFCENT in AEF deployment cycles, engaging in combat in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF); Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and other expeditionary operations as tasked.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In 2002 the 56th Fighter Wing became responsible for the nearby Barry M. Goldwater Training Range, became concerned that urban development near the base would curtail flying training if left unchecked. In addition, the Munitions Storage Area (MSA) stood outside of the base compound, adding a burden to the Security Forces Squadron. In October 2002, Senator John McCain of Arizona shepherded a MILCON funding insert of $13 million to purchase needed to incorporate the MSA into the base perimeter and to acquire additional land in order to preserve access to the Goldwater Range.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: BRAC 2005 directed that the older Block 25 F-16s be sent to Air National Guard units, this change reduced the number of fighter squadrons, with the 61st and 63d Fighter Squadrons inactivating in 2009 and 2010.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In 1959 Air Defense Command established a Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center (DC-21) at Luke AFB. The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and later FAA) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for air defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack. It was initially under the Phoenix Air Defense Sector (PhADS), established on 15 June 1959. PhADS was inactivated on 1 April 1966, and re-designated as the 27th Air Division. DC-21 with its AN/FSQ-7 computer remained under the 27th AD until 19 November 1969 it was inactivated and its assets absorbed by the 26th Air Division. DC-21 was inactivated on 9 December 1983 when technology advances made SAGE obsolete.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Air Force Reserve training began at Luke AFB in 1960 with the activation of the 302d Air Rescue Squadron. The 302d had a distinguished heritage and lineage, being formed as the 302d Fighter Squadron, one of four African-American fighter squadrons to enter combat during World War II. It saw combat in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) and Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) from 17 February 1944 – 20 February 1945.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: For many years the 302d operated a variety of air rescue helicopters from the base, training for and performing search and rescue (SAR) missions, in addition to some medical air evacuation missions. In 1974, its mission changed to training for the combat search and rescue (CSAR) role, while continuing to perform some search and rescue.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The squadron's mission changed again, in 1987, to a fighter role as the 302d Tactical Fighter Squadron, being assigned to the AFRES (now AFRC) 944th Fighter Wing. The 302d TFS was equipped with block 25/32 F-16C Fighting Falcons, carrying tail code "LR". The 302d TFS trained for counterair, interdiction, and close air support missions. It deployed several times since late 1992 to Turkey to help enforce the no-fly zone over Iraq and to Italy to support UN air operations in the Balkans, The 302d FS was moved to Holloman AFB, New Mexico and converted to F-22A Raptors on 2 October 2007.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The 69th Fighter Squadron was activated at Luke on 1 February 2010, equipped with Block 42 F-16Cs, tail code "LF", 69th FS carrying a black tail band. The 69th had formerly been assigned to Luke as an active-duty squadron from 1969–1983, flying Lockheed F-104G Starfighters training pilots from the West German Air Force (See below).


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: From 1957 to 1965 830 pilots from the West German air force were trained on the F-84 at Luke AFB under Air Training Command. Since Northern European weather and operational restrictions placed severe limitations on the amount of training, Luke AFB was chosen, where flying conditions were ideal for most of the time.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: On 4 April 1963 the USAF and the Federal Republic of Germany signed contracts for a unique pilot training program. One agreement called for undergraduate pilot training for West German Air Force (GAF) and West German Navy (GN) students in Cessna T-37 Tweet and Northrop T-38 Talon jet aircraft at Williams AFB, Arizona. The second agreement provided for advanced fighter training in the Lockheed Lockheed F-104G Starfighter at Luke AFB. The two programs were interrelated. Graduates of the basic flight training at Williams were programmed for the advanced training at Luke, resulting in an almost two-year tour of duty in the United States for the young German pilots. The advanced training at Luke was the unique aspect of the program.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The host 4510th Combat Crew Training Wing (CCTW) at Luke was tasked with providing the advanced flying training. On 20 February 1964, the 4540th Combat Crew Training Group (CCTG) was organized and designated to conduct GAF training at Luke. The group was activated on 1 April. Prior to designating the 4540th CCTG, the 4518th Combat Crew Training Squadron was activated on 1 March 1964 and was reassigned to the 4540th CCTG upon the later's activation. A second squadron, the 4519th Combat Crew Training Squadron, was assigned to the group, effective 1 July 1964. The German unit was named "2. Deutsche Luftwaffen-Ausbildungsstaffel F-104 USA (2. DtLwAusbStff F-104 USA)" (2nd German Air Force Training Squadron F-104 USA). Although remaining German property, the Starfighters carried USAF insignia and were assigned American serial numbers.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: By mid July 1964, 23 TF-104G and 12 F-104G were assigned to Luke. On 26 August 1964 a total of 14 USAF F-104 instructor pilots graduated in the second class conducted at Luke. With a sufficient number of aircraft and instructor pilots, preparations were on target to receive the first advanced training class scheduled for October 1964. Aircraft inventories at Luke peaked in 1967 and 1968. In 1967, 100 aircraft were assigned, 62 F-104G and 38 TF-104G: The total increased to 102 in 1968, 61 F-104G models and 41 TF-104G models. Major changes occurred in organization on 1 October 1969 when the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing (TFTW) was activated, replacing the 4510th CCTW as the host unit at Luke. Concurrently, the 69th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron and the 418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron were activated as F-104 training units, replacing the 4518th CCTS and 4519th CCTS.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: By 1975, a decrease in training requirements was accompanied by a corresponding decrease in the fleet size. The two squadrons were consolidated in 1976 with the 418th TFTS inactivating on 1 October 1976. Also a storage program was started to preserve the lifespan of the aircraft. As of 30 September 1975 some 13 aircraft were in flyable storage. Training of West German Air Force pilots in the F-104G continued until late 1982. The Germans flew more than 900 Starfighters totaling an excess of 269,750 hours and produced 1,868 F-104 pilots. The 69th TFTS inactivated on 16 March 1983.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: A third F-104G squadron at Luke, the 4443d Combat Crew Training Squadron, differed from the West German squadrons in that it was associated with the Military Assistance Program (MAP) with students from NATO and other friendly nations being trained in the Starfighter. On 22 May 1964, TAC relieved the 4443d CCTS from its assignment to the 831st Air Division at George AFB, California, and reassigned it to the 4540th CCTG, effective 1 August 1964. The move consolidated all F-104 training at one location. The F-104s that purchased with MAP funds and were assigned USAF serial numbers for record-keeping purposes although they never carried USAF insignia. On 15 June 1969 the 4443rd CCTS was inactivated.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The facility was placed on temporary reduced activity status on 6 July 1946, and was temporarily inactivated on 31 October 1946. It became a sub-installation of Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, from 3 December 1946 to 5 March 1951. It was removed from inactive status and placed on active status on 1 January 1951.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Luke Air Force Base is an active-duty F-16 Fighting Falcon training base with 170 F-16s assigned. The host command at Luke is the 56th Fighter Wing (56 FW), under Air Education and Training Command's 19th Air Force.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The base population includes about 7,500 military members and 15,000 family members. With about 80,000 retired military members living in greater Phoenix, the base services a total population of more than 100,000 people.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The host unit, the 56th Fighter Wing, is tasked to train F-35 and F-16 fighter pilots and maintainers. Historically, the wing graduated more than 400 F-16 pilots and 470 crew chiefs annually. The 56th FW is composed of four groups, 27 squadrons, including six training squadrons. There are several tenant units on base, including the 944th Fighter Wing, assigned to 10th Air Force and the Air Force Reserve. The 56th Fighter Wing also trains more than 700 maintenance technicians each year.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: In addition to flying and maintaining the F-16, Luke airmen also deploy to support on-going operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and to combatant commanders in other locations around the world. In 2004, more than 900 Luke airmen deployed, with most supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The 56th Operations Group (OG) has operational control and responsibility for the entire fighter-training mission at Luke. It has the tail code: "LF". It comprises:


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The 56th Maintenance Group (MXG) provides aircraft maintenance on more than 79 F-16s and 29 F-35s, for the Air Force's only active duty F-16 and F-35 training wing. The 56th Mission Support Group (MSG) sustains the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-35 Lightning II, provides for the community, and delivers responsive combat support. The 56th Medical Group (MDG) is an outpatient only Medical Treatment Facility, which serves more than 84,000 beneficiaries in the Phoenix area.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The 944th Fighter Wing is an adjunct Air Force Reserve wing to the 56th FW that trains Air Force F-16 pilots for reserve duty. It comprises the 69th Fighter Squadron ("Werewolves", tailband: black).


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: The public has been more accommodating to the military operations at Luke Air Force base compared to other Arizona installations like the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, according to a 2015 study. This is due to a buffer of public land around it, that helps against encroachment and land use conflicts. Also, the private sector in Glendale has been helping to maintain the buffer of public land, and with it the Arizona defense economy. This is because if encroachment impacts a site's mission, it loses value for the military operation, and base closure is more likely to occur.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: An integral part of Luke's F-16 fighter pilot training mission is the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range. The range consists of of relatively undisturbed Sonoran Desert southwest of Luke Air Force Base between Yuma and Tucson south of Interstate 8. Overhead are of airspace where pilots practice air-to-air maneuvers and engage simulated battlefield targets on the ground. Roughly the size of Connecticut, the immense size of the complex allows for simultaneous training activities on nine air-to-ground and two air-to-air ranges. The Luke Air Force Base Range Management Office manages the eastern range activities and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma oversees operations on the western portion.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Since June 2012, Luke AFB has been the permanent home of Naval Operational Support Center (NOSC) Phoenix of the US Navy. A NOSC is a facility used to provide operational support for training and administrative services to Navy Reserve Units. NOSC Phoenix supports over 750 Navy Reservists in sixteen Navy Reserve units. The new , one-story facility is located on a site at Luke AFB with sufficient parking and a secured perimeter to meet current anti-terrorism and force protection standards. NOSC Phoenix serves a full-time command and administrative staff, a medical unit, and reservists during drill weekends. It also has a drill hall, command staff offices, reserve unit administration spaces, medical and dental examination areas, six classrooms, a distance learning center, a physical fitness room, and a quarterdeck. The $11.2 million facility is the first LEED Platinum certified building of the US Navy Reserve Force.


title: Luke Air Force Base

text: Units marked GSU are Geographically Separate Units, which although based at Luke, are subordinate to a parent unit based at another location.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: Spyro Gyra is an American jazz fusion band that was formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1974. The band's music combines jazz, R&B, funk, and pop music. The band's name comes from "Spirogyra", a genus of green algae which founder Jay Beckenstein had learned about in college.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: Saxophonist Jay Beckenstein and keyboardist Jeremy Wall formed a band with jazz and rock musicians who were playing in the Buffalo bar and club circuit. In 1974, when a bar owner asked for the band's name, Beckenstein said, "spirogyra", a type of algae he had learned about in school. The bar owner wrote the name incorrectly, "Spyro Gyra", but it stuck. The founding members of the band were Beckenstein, Wall, bassist Jim Kurzdorfer, drummer Tom Walsh, and keyboardist Tom Schuman. In 1977, they released "Spyro Gyra" independently before making a deal with Amherst Records, which re-released the album with a different cover. It included "Shaker Song," which reached No. 90 on Billboard's Hot 100, No. 99 on the pop chart in Canada, and No. 26 on the Canadian AC chart. Jay Beckenstein and Richard Calandra co-produced the record, while Beckenstein and Wall each wrote an equal number of compositions.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: The band's second album "Morning Dance" reached No. 11 in the UK Albums Chart, No. 27 on the "Billboard" Top 200 albums chart, and No. 47 in Canada. The song "Morning Dance" reached No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart, No. 1 on the US Adult Contemporary singles chart, No. 45 on the Canadian pop charts, and No. 6 on the Canadian AC charts. The album was certified gold in 1979, then platinum in 1987 by the RIAA. In addition to the band, the album featured guest musicians including trumpet player Randy Brecker, saxophonist Michael Brecker, guitarists John Tropea and Hiram Bullock, bassist Will Lee, drummer Steve Jordan and percussionist Rubens Bassini. Drummer Ted Reinhardt replaced Walsh during the recording of the album and guitarist Rick Strauss joined the band, but by the album's completion Eli Konikoff became the band's drummer and Chet Catallo joined on guitar, with Gerardo Velez becoming the band's percussionist. Jeremy Wall left the touring lineup but would continue to compose for the band. The sextet of Beckenstein, Schuman, Catallo, Kurzdorfer, Konikoff and Velez became the band's touring lineup in 1979, continuing into 1980.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: When Infinity Records folded, "Catching the Sun" was released on MCA in February 1980, becoming the No. 4 jazz album of 1980, peaking at No. 31 in the UK, and No. 80 in Canada. This album included the first composition for the group by Tom Schuman, who would become a regular writer along with Beckenstein and Wall, while other band members also contributed compositions. Bassist Jim Kurzdorfer left the group in 1980, replaced by David Wofford, and for a tour of Japan Sheila Escovedo temporarily replaced Velez on percussion. The group released their next album, "Carnaval", in late 1980. "Catching the Sun" was certified gold in 1985 by the RIAA, followed in 1987 by "Carnaval." The group's next release was "Freetime", in 1981.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: "Incognito" (1982) featured as guests bassist Marcus Miller, drummer Steve Gadd, saxophonist Tom Scott, pianist Richard Tee, harmonica player Toots Thielemans, and pianist Jorge Dalto. "City Kids" (1983) introduced bassist Kim Stone, replacing Wofford. The live album "Access All Areas", recorded in Florida in November 1983, introduced marimba and vibraphone player Dave Samuels (who had guested on earlier tracks including the hits "Shaker Song" and "Morning Dance") as a full-time member of the band. After this album, Eli Konikoff and Chet Catallo left the group, to be replaced by drummer Richie Morales and guitarist Julio Fernández.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: The new lineup (Beckenstein, Schuman, Fernández, Samuels, Stone, Morales and Velez) recorded 1985's "Alternating Currents", the band's first studio album to feature only the core lineup with no guest musicians. After percussionist Manolo Badrena, formerly of Weather Report and a previous guest musician on Spyro Gyra's albums, joined the band as a full-time member, replacing Velez, the group released the 1986 follow-up "Breakout". "Alternating Currents" (1985) and "Breakout" (1986) would be among the top 15 Jazz Albums in Billboard in 1986. Longtime co-producer Richard Calandra died in October 1986 of pancreatic cancer.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: In 1987 Roberto Vally replaced Stone on bass for "Stories Without Words", which would also be Manolo Badrena's final album with the band. "Rites of Summer" (1988) introduced bassist Oscar Cartaya, replacing Vally. Both "Stories Without Words" and "Rites of Summer" were among Billboard's top 15 Contemporary Jazz Albums of 1988. On the 1989 album "Point of View" Julio Fernández was replaced by guitarist Jay Azzolina. Spyro Gyra ended the decade as Billboard's most successful jazz artist of the 1980s.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: Percussionist Marc Quiñones joined the group for "Fast Forward" (1990), though it would be his only album with the band, and the last album for Richie Morales and Jay Azzolina. Guitarist Julio Fernández rejoined the band for two new tracks included on the "best of" album, "Collection", which also marked the debut of drummer Joel Rosenblatt.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: "Three Wishes" (1992) introduced bassist Scott Ambush, replacing Cartaya. The following year's "Dreams Beyond Control" included guest appearances by former Santana vocalist Alex Ligertwood, marking the first appearance of lyrics on a Spyro Gyra album. After this album, Dave Samuels left the band to pursue solo projects, although he would appear with the band on later albums.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: In 1995, the band released "Love and Other Obsessions" with guests Deniece Williams, Barrington Henderson, Billy Cliff, and a host of other backing vocalists and musicians, including Dave Samuels. This album would be the band's final 90's release to feature traditional R&B vocals. It was the first of a series of albums with the quintet lineup of Beckenstein, Schuman, Fernández, Ambush and Rosenblatt, which lasted until 2004.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: Drummer Joel Rosenblatt left the band during the making of "The Deep End", leaving room for two other drummers, guest Billy Kilson and drummer Ludwig Afonso, who became Rosenblatt's replacement. The band's next album, 2006's "Wrapped in a Dream", was the first Spyro Gyra album in twenty years to be nominated for a Grammy Award. Trinidadian Bonny Bonaparte (Bonny B) replaced Afonso as drummer for "Good to Go-Go" (2007), which received a Grammy nomination, as did "A Night Before Christmas" and "Down the Wire" (2009).


title: Spyro Gyra

text: "A Foreign Affair" was released in 2011 and included Beckenstein, Schuman, Fernandez, Ambush, and Bonny B, as well as guest vocalists Arijit Singh and Keb' Mo'. The album debuted at No. 2 on the "Billboard" jazz album chart. Bonaparte left the group due to health issues in November 2011 and was replaced on drums by Lee Pearson.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: "The Rhinebeck Sessions" (2013) included Beckenstein, Schuman, Fernandez, Ambush, and Pearson. According to the group, it was written and recorded over three days in a recording studio in Rhinebeck, New York. In 2015, there was another change of drummers with Lionel Cordew replacing Pearson. "Vinyl Tap" (2019), the band's most recent record to date, was a departure as it had no original material, instead featuring the band's interpretations of classic rock and r&b songs from the 60's and 70's.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: In 2020, with the band forced to stop touring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band uploaded a video to YouTube on June 23, 2020 featuring a medley of early hits "Shaker Song," "Catching the Sun" and "Morning Dance" synchronized from recordings of each band member at home. In 2021, the group resumed touring.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: On December 19, 2022, the band announced on Facebook that Tom Schuman planned to move to Europe and would play his final shows with the band in February 2023.


title: Spyro Gyra

text: Original bassist Jim Kurzdorfer died of cancer in 2011. Former drummer Ted Reinhardt died in an airplane crash on March 4, 2015, at the age of 63. Mallet player Dave Samuels died on April 22, 2019, due to an undisclosed long-term illness.


title: Elvis Crespo

text: Elvis Crespo Díaz (born July 30, 1971) is an Puerto Rican singer and songwriter of the Merengue genre. He has won multiple awards, including a Grammy and a Latin Grammy Award in merengue.


title: Elvis Crespo

text: Crespo was born in New York City and was named "Elvis" after Elvis Presley. He was raised in the city of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, where he spent his childhood and adolescent years.


title: Elvis Crespo

text: He first gained fame in the mid-90s when he joined Grupo Mania, in Puerto Rico. Eventually he decided to try to go solo in 1998. His debut album, Suavemente was a hit, both in Latin America and in the US. The single "Suavemente" was a huge hit and eventually helped him earn the Best Male Tropical/Salsa Album of the Year from Billboard magazine. His album went platinum in the Venezuelan and Central American markets and gold in Chile. Released in 1998, Crespo's debut also earned a gold album for sales of over 500,000 copies in the first year after its release in the United States. "Suavemente" set a record for holding the top position on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart for six weeks. Part of the song's success was its unexpected crossover appeal to English-speaking listeners, particularly in Miami and New York." His album was mostly merengue influenced, but his follow-up albums would venture from these roots eventually. "Wow Flash!" is Elvis Crespo's third solo recording for Sony Music. Elvis Crespo's latest album, "Regresó el Jefe", went on sale on 5 June 2007, with its first single being "La Foto Se Me Borró." He dedicated this album to his niece, Wilmarie Agosto Crespo, who died in a car accident on March 28, 2007. In 2016 Elvis was featured on Deorro's number one hit song "Bailar" which was featured on a Target Corporation Commercial.


title: Elvis Crespo

text: Crespo was investigated by the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after he allegedly performed a sex act and exposed himself in view of other passengers aboard an airplane flight from Houston, Texas to Miami, Florida on March 26, 2009. He was interviewed upon his arrival but was not arrested and no charges were filed. When asked by police at the airport about the accusation, Crespo reportedly said "I don’t recall doing that". On July 10, 2013, an intoxicated Crespo was allegedly expelled from a casino in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico for harassing a female employee, before he later became involved in a physical confrontation with local restaurant owner Alexander de Jesús after he attempted to steal a bottle of alcohol from his restaurant. De Jesús subsequently filed a complaint against Crespo, opening a police investigation. In a December 2013 interview with "Al Rojo Vivo", Crespo addressed both incidents, saying that he was ashamed, and that his behavior stemmed from his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction.


title: Elvis Crespo

text: This is a list of awards and nominations of Puerto Rican merengue artist Elvis Crespo. Here are some of the awards he has won during his musical career.


title: Lacunar stroke

text: Lacunar stroke or lacunar cerebral infarct (LACI) is the most common type of ischemic stroke, resulting from the occlusion of small penetrating arteries that provide blood to the brain's deep structures. Patients who present with symptoms of a lacunar stroke, but who have not yet had diagnostic imaging performed, may be described as having lacunar stroke syndrome (LACS).


title: Lacunar stroke

text: Much of the current knowledge of lacunar strokes comes from C. Miller Fisher's cadaver dissections of post-mortem stroke patients. He observed "lacunae" (empty spaces) in the deep brain structures after occlusion of 200–800 μm penetrating arteries and connected them with five classic syndromes. These syndromes are still noted today, though lacunar infarcts are diagnosed based on clinical judgment and radiologic imaging.


title: Lacunar stroke

text: Each of the five classical lacunar syndromes has a relatively distinct symptom complex. Symptoms may occur suddenly, progressively, or in a fluctuating (e.g., the capsular warning syndrome) manner. Occasionally, cortical infarcts and intracranial hemorrhages can mimic lacunar infarcts, but true cortical signs (aphasia, visuospatial neglect, gaze deviation, and visual field defects) are always absent in lacunar strokes. The classic syndromes are as follows:


title: Lacunar stroke

text: A silent lacunar infarction (SLI) is one type of silent stroke which usually shows no identifiable outward symptoms, and is thus termed "silent." Because stroke is a clinical diagnosis (that is, it is defined by clinical symptoms), there is debate about whether SLI are considered to be strokes, even though the pathophysiology is presumably the same. Individuals who have a SLI are often completely unaware they have had a stroke. This type of stroke often causes lesions in the surrounding brain tissue that are visibly detected via neuroimaging techniques such as MRI and computed axial tomography (CT scan). Silent strokes, including silent lacunar infarctions, have been shown to be much more common than previously thought, with an estimated prevalence rate of eleven million per year in the United States. Approximately 10% of these silent strokes are silent lacunar infarctions. While dubbed "silent" due to the immediate lack of classic stroke symptoms, SLIs can cause damage to the surrounding brain tissue and can affect various aspects of a person's mood, personality, and cognitive functioning. A SLI or any type of silent stroke places an individual at greater risk for future major stroke.


title: Lacunar stroke

text: According to Koffler et al., lacunes are derived from an "occlusion of a single deep penetrating artery that arises directly from the constituents of the circle of Willis, cerebellar arteries, and basilar artery". Other lesions that are associated with lacunes appear in the "deep nuclei of the brain (37% putamen, 14% thalamus, and 10% caudate) as well as the pons (16%) or the posterior limb of the internal capsule (10%)". These lesions are less common within other brain regions such as the cerebellum, cerebral white matter and anterior limb of the internal capsule.


title: Lacunar stroke

text: The two proposed mechanisms are microatheroma and lipohyalinosis. At the beginning, lipohyalinosis was thought to be the main small vessel pathology, but microatheroma now is thought to be the most common mechanism of arterial occlusion (or stenosis). Occasionally, atheroma in the parent artery blocks the orifice of the penetrating artery (luminal atheroma), or atheroma involves the origin of the penetrating artery (junctional atheroma). Alternatively, hypoperfusion is believed to be the mechanism when there is stenosis of the penetrating artery. When no evidence of small vessel disease is found on histologic examination, an embolic cause is assumed, either artery-to-artery embolism or cardioembolism. In one recent series, 25% of patients with clinical radiologically defined lacunes had a potential cardiac cause for their strokes.


title: Lacunar stroke

text: More recent advances have also suggested these mechanisms may play a combined role in the aetiology of lacunar infarction. The most current theory indicates endothelial dysfunction and increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier first allow leakage of blood contents, promoting gliosis and white matter hyper-intensities on magnetic resonance imaging. Moreover, focal narrowing of brain vessels and impairment of their ability to dilate in response to various stimuli may lead to a decreased cerebral blood flow and ultimately lacunar stroke.


title: Lacunar stroke

text: Advanced age, chronic hypertension, smoking and diabetes mellitus are risk factors. It is unclear whether there is an association with alcohol consumption, elevated cholesterol, or history of prior stroke. Lacunar strokes may result from carotid artery pathology or microemboli from the heart as in atrial fibrillation. Patients often recover well, but if there is enough white matter disease from lacunar pathology, one can see a subcortical dementia such as Binswanger disease.


title: Lacunar stroke

text: Typically, tissue plasminogen activator may be administered within 3 to 4.5 hours of stroke onset if the patient is without contraindications (i.e. a bleeding diathesis such as recent major surgery or cancer with brain metastases). High dose aspirin can be given within 48 hours. For long term prevention of recurrence, medical regimens are typically aimed towards correcting the underlying risk factors for lacunar infarcts such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and cigarette smoking. Anticoagulants such as heparin and warfarin have shown no benefit over aspirin with regards to five-year survival.


title: Lacunar stroke

text: Patients who have lacunar strokes have a greater chance of surviving beyond thirty days (96%) than those with other types of stroke (85%), and better survival beyond a year (87% versus 65-70%). Between 70% and 80% are functionally independent at 1 year, compared with fewer than 50% otherwise.


title: Lacunar stroke

text: Occupational therapy and physical therapy interventions are used in the rehabilitation of lacunar stroke. A physiotherapy program will improve joint range of motion of the paretic limb using passive range of motion exercises. When increases in activity are tolerated, and stability improvements are made, patients will progress from rolling to side-lying, to standing (with progressions to prone, quadruped, bridging, long-sitting and kneeling for example) and learn to transfer safely (from their bed to a chair or from a wheel chair to a car for example). Assistance and ambulation aids are used as required as the patient begins walking and lessened as function increases. Furthermore, splints and braces can be used to support limbs and joints to prevent or treat complications such as contractures and spasticity. The rehabilitation healthcare team should also educate the patient and their family on common stroke symptoms and how to manage an onset of stroke. Continuing follow-up with a physician is essential so that the physician may monitor medication dosage and risk factors.


title: Lacunar stroke

text: It is estimated that lacunar infarcts account for 25% of all ischemic strokes, with an annual incidence of approximately 15 per 100,000 people. They may be more frequent in men and in people of African, Mexican, and Hong Kong Chinese descent.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: The National Party (, PN), also known as the White Party (), is a major political party in Uruguay. It was founded in 1836 by Manuel Oribe, making it the country's oldest active political party, and together with the Colorado Party, its origin dates back to the time of the creation of the Uruguayan State.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: Positioned on the centre-right of the political spectrum, the National Party is ideologically liberal, nationalist, Pan-Americanist and humanist. Considering the interim co-government of the "Gobierno del Cerrito" headed by Manuel Oribe, and the Defense Government from Montevideo led by the Colorado Joaquín Suarez, in the middle of the Uruguayan Civil War, and with the exception of the current administration of Luis Lacalle Pou, the PN has ruled the country for 35 years interruptedly throughout its history; This includes constitutional, interim, de facto presidents, and collegiate governments. Although General Manuel Oribe is recognized as its founder, Aparicio Saravia is considered its idealist.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: The National Party is a defender of decentralization, and its demographic base skews toward people living in rural areas.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: The identity of the National Party dates back to August 10, 1836 when the then president Manuel Oribe decreed the use of the white banner with the inscription "Defenders of the Laws", in the battle of Carpintería, Oribe faced the revolutionary army of Fructuoso Rivera and colored badges were used to distinguish between the parties. For this reason, the National Party is also known as the "White Party."


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: On July 7, 1872, the first "Program of Principles" was approved, in which respect for freedoms, the maintenance of peace as the supreme good for the Nation, the representation of minorities, the decentralization of the country, the strengthening of justice, and the promotio of education and instruction.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: In March 2020, National Party’s Luis Lacalle Pou was sworn as the new President of Uruguay, meaning Uruguay got the first conservative government after 15 years of left-wing leadership under the Broad Front coalition.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: Under the electoral system in place at the time called Ley de Lemas system, each political party could have as many as three presidential candidates. The combined result of the votes for a party's candidates determined which party would control the executive branch, and whichever of the winning party's candidates finished in first place would be declared President this system was used form the 1942 election until the 1994 election until in 1996, a referendum amended the constitution to restrict each party to a single presidential candidate, effective from the 1999 elections.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: The National Council of Administration ruling alongside the President of the Republic between 1918 and 1933 and it was re-established as National Council of Government was the ruling body in Uruguay between 1952 and 1967


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: At the 2004 national elections, the National Party won 36 seats out of 99 in the Chamber of Deputies and 11 seats out of 31 in the Senate. Its presidential candidate, Jorge Larrañaga, obtained the same day 35.1% of the valid, popular vote.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: At the 2009 national elections, the National Party won 31 seats out of 99 in the Chamber of Deputies and 9 seats out of 31 in the Senate. Its presidential candidate, Luis Alberto Lacalle, obtained on 25 October 29.07% of the valid, popular vote.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: In 2019, the National Party returns to lead the government after thirty years, when Luis Lacalle Pou defeated leftist Daniel Martínez in the second round, with the nationalist as leader of the so-called Coalición Multicolor ("Multicolor Alliance"). This will be the second occasion since the return of democracy and the first of the 21st century when the Party reaches the government.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: The leader of National Alliance was Jorge Larrañaga, until 2021, who ran for President of Uruguay in 2004. He was beaten by Tabaré Vázquez of the Broad Front. The new leader is still undefined until the next internal elections of the sector. The ideologies of the sector are centrism and christian democracy.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: Herrerism is built on a foundation of economic liberalism and liberal conservatism, although earlier in its history it took on more anti-imperialist and traditionalist policies.


title: National Party (Uruguay)

text: The Wilsonist Current is a social-liberal faction of the National Party of Uruguay. Founded in 2002 by Francisco Gallinal, its name comes from the Wilsonism, an important tendency of the Party, led by Wilson Ferreira Aldunate.