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Show HILLTOP TIMES TIMES October 4, 2007 Web site boosts Hill's most ardent defender BYTOMBUSSELBERG Standard-Examiner staff tbusselberg@standard .net K AYSVILLE — Hill Air Force Base has a vocal proponent — one that probably most military personnel, civilian employees and others connected to the massive installation know little or nothing about. Thanks to their new Web site, officials at the Utah Defense Alliance hope more people can learn about their mission and activities. The Web site, www.utahdefensealliance.com has recently been activated. It includes information about the nonprofit agency, the various military installations in the state, as well as news and policies. Much of the group's empha' sis in years past was targeted to keeping the base open in the face of BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) over the past decade or so, said Rick Mayfield, UDA chief operating officer and executive director. That falls in line with its stated mission to "strengthen and support all appropriate government and private enterprises in their accomplishments of national defense objectives." Its scope has expanded to include myriad ways of strengthening the base's position nationally and at home. That includes a strong alliance with Gov. Jon Huntsman and his office, Mayfield said. As noted on the Web site, UDA exists in part to "expand investment and employment opportunities in defense and aerospace related industries." Davis and Weber counties and Northern Utah have been desig- nated as an aerospace technology center for the state by the governor and the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED). The focus is intended to build on the presence of such aerospace firms as ATK, Boeing and myriad others already well-established in the area. Within the last two months, key events in that effort have taken place. The UDA board ratified two contracts with GOED, including one contract for services and products related to assisting Utah businesses procure government contracts in partnership with GOED's Procurement Technical Assistance Centers Development. In addition, Sunset Ridge Development Partners LLC (Sunset Ridge) was selected as the highest-ranked "officer" for Phase I of the 550 acre West Side Development. It is on the west side of the base and covers land in Weber and north Davis counties. The organization's board includes several retired generals, colonels, congressional representatives, mayors and other elected officials and captains of industry. In the Web section HAFB's importance as an Air Force Materiel Command base is emphasized, including its "worldwide engineering and logistics management" role for the F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II and Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. Its mission to perform depot maintenance of the F-16, A-10 and C-130 Hercules aircraft is also mentioned. The pivotal role of the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) to the base's mission and that of national security is also well outlined. "UTTR provides the largest overland safety footprint available in the Department of Defense for aircrew training and weapons testing. UTTR provides training for air-to-ground and ground force exercises." The 388th Range Squadron operates and maintains UTTR, providing "responsive open-air training and test services that support day-to-day training, large force training exercises, and large footprint weapons training," and much more. Dugway Proving Ground, a testing center in the Great Salt Lake Desert about 85 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, is also noted, including its mission as the "nation's premier defense proving ground that provides high quality testing, data and information." Camp Williams, 26 miles south of Salt Lake, is also outlined as a training site operated by the Utah Army National Guard. It covers 28,000 acres of training areas with a billeting capacity of 2,800 troops. "It's a great resource and will open a lot of avenues to travel down for information," said Steve Curtis, mayor of Layton and a member of the UDA board. "The Web site will make it a lot easier to find UDA, learn about what we're doing, what we're trying to accomplish." Awards luncheon today for disabilities panel KSL Radio morning news co-host and author Amanda Dickson will be the keynote speaker for the 11:30 a.m. Oct. 4 Persons with Disabilities Committee awards luncheon. It will be held at Club Hill, with tickets $10 for club members, $12 for nonmembers. Individuals that have made "selfless contributions" will be honored for <(Embracing the Challenge" by assisting those individuals who every day overcome their own disabilities and contribute to the overall success of the warfighter. An upcoming event, a wheel chair basketball tournament, will be held 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at the HAFB Health and Wellness Center. It will star the "Wheelin' Jazz." "By sponsoring these events, we hope to bring awareness and recognition to our wingmen and women with disabilities and the numerous contributions they make on a day-to-day basis," said Alan Niederhauser, program manager for people with disabilities. The committee was set up to emphasize the enhancement of employment and advancement opportunities for people with disabilities by ensuring they are given an equal opportunity in every personnel management policy and practice. "Our subcommittee members function as organizational liaisons to provide valuable information about the concerns and needs of people with disabilities in their respective organizations." PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, P.C. Dale Hibbert, Pediatrics Jennifer Brown, Family Leland Pack, Orthodontist Accepts Military Insurance Latest technology in painless dentistry Free exam for c-hildren under 2 yrs Arcade games & more Open Mon through sat 774-0770 2112 N. HILLFIELD RD. #1 • LAYTON o•o o # o ©•O |