In 2018, Team Hill supported and provided combat-ready forces to fly, fight and win as it has done since groundbreaking for construction of installation occurred on Jan. 12, 1940.
Today, Hill Air Force Base is the second largest base in the Air Force by population and geographic size. Hill spans approximately 7,000 acres and employs nearly 25,500 military, civilian and contractor personnel. It remains Utah’s largest single-site employer.
Facts and figures aside, this year was chock full of firsts and many successes. Hill AFB also continued to receive unparalleled generosity and support from the surrounding community.
Among 2018’s accomplishments, the Ogden Air Logistics Complex reached a major milestone in extending the life of one of the Air Force’s most tested and flown multi-role fighter fleets – the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The F-16 Service Life Extension Program will keep the jets flying until nearly 2050, thanks to a partnership between the Ogden ALC and the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center’s F-16 Systems Program Office.
The active-duty 388th Fighter Wing and Air Force Reserve 419th Fighter Wing returned home from a six-month deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The deployment was the first long-term overseas deployment for the F-35A Lightning II, which arrived at Hill AFB in 2015 and was deemed “combat ready” by the Air Force one year later.
Airmen also participated in an Air Force Materiel Command-wide training exercise in 2018 and provided AFMC leaders with the ability to outline and define processes used to plan and manage the transition from peacetime weapon system support to those required to surge and maintain both contingency and wartime support levels.
Hill saw the opening of a new 35,000 square-foot fire station near its airfield to not only improve response times, but also the quality of life for the base’s firefighters. In the summer, the installation opened its gates to the public and welcomed nearly 600,000 people for the Warriors Over the Wasatch Air and Space Show to not only showcase its mission, but to say thank you to the community for its unyielding support.
In addition, the state enacted new laws to make finding work in Utah easier for military members and their spouses who hold professional licenses and certifications from other states. It also ushered in new programs, including a first-time homebuyer grant for veterans, and pro bono legal assistance to service members for a variety of civil law matters.
This brief summary of the year’s undertakings demonstrates Team Hill’s ability to employ combat capability, enhance readiness, and improve the base. Inside this edition of the Hilltop Times is a look back at some of these and other 2018 accomplishments.
