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Fighter Country Foundation thanks Surprise council, outlines programs and new honor guard training facility
Summary
Ron Seitz, president and CEO of the Fighter Country Foundation, thanked the Surprise City Council on Jan. 6 and described more than 70 programs serving airmen and families at Luke Air Force Base, plus a proposed $2.9 million, 7,000‑square‑foot honor guard training facility that could become a regional training center.
Ron Seitz, president and CEO of the Fighter Country Foundation, thanked the Surprise City Council during the Jan. 6 work session and described the nonprofit’s expanding support for airmen and military families at Luke Air Force Base.
Seitz told the council the organization has shifted from protecting mission-critical assets to focusing most of its efforts on morale, resiliency and family support. "The level of support that you guys have provided Fighter Country Foundation and Fighter Country Partnership over the course of 20 years" has enabled dozens of programs, he said.
The presentation said the foundation runs roughly 70 programs in the coming year — from marriage retreats and resiliency fairs to a dorm‑dweller holiday party and single‑parent supports. Seitz described facility work on base that the nonprofit funds for non‑mission critical but high‑impact uses, citing one current project: a roughly $2.9 million, 7,000‑square‑foot honor guard training facility. He said the honor guard supports about 1,300 events a year, including approximately 1,100 military funerals, and that if the facility is completed the Air Force has signaled it could be designated a regional training headquarters.
Seitz also listed smaller, targeted upgrades the foundation funded, including a staff break room at a child development center that serves about 234 children and 93 staff, and said those investments increase mission sustainability and community ties. "We support the military members through programs and services, geared towards morale and well‑being, culture and tradition, and mission sustainability," he said.
The mayor and several council members praised the foundation’s long relationship with the city and its support for local first responders during events such as the air show. No formal action or vote was taken; the presentation concluded with council expressions of thanks and encouragement to continue city‑nonprofit collaboration.
The foundation did not present a formal request for city funds at the meeting. Council members did not set a date for further action; Seitz and staff indicated they would continue coordination with city partners and return with materials if needed.
