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Show HILLTOP TIMES 5 1-1,,i MES Dec. 27, 2012 5 Military reductions announced for Hill include 59 active duty, Reserve, Guard billets A ir Force officials released force structure changes and resulting manpower impacts from the new DoD strategic guidance and fiscal 2013 President's Budget on March 6. The fiscal 2013 President's Budget adjusted Air Force military end strength to 501,000, with net reductions of 3,900 active duty, 5,100 Air National Guard and 900 Air Force Reserve billets. The impact of the announcement to Hill Air Force Base was a net reduction 6 of 59 active duty, Reserve and Guard military authorizations through fiscal year 2013. The net reduction of military authorizations came from a variety of organizations across the installation and not from any one unit. These changes are in addition to the net reduction of 159 civilian authorizations that were previously announced. According to the Air Force Chief of Staff, the Air Force's strategy is to apply resources to the people, programs and systems that will best contribute to the new DoD strategic guidance. "Working with our Guard and Reserve leaders, we used a balanced approach to adjust our Total Force end strength while maintaining the ability to execute strategic guidance," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. "Our Total Force programmed reductions follow detailed assessments of future conflict scenarios and rotational requirements consistent with the new strategic guid- 7 New leaders step forward F-22 Hangar opens [ A number of new leaders assumed command with strong leadership positions affecting Hill in 2012. I I I Gen. Mark A. Welsh III became Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C, in July. As chief, he serves as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipping of 690,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the general and other service chiefs function as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and the president. Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger assumed ALEX R. LLOYD/U.S. Air Force (Left to right) Senior Vice President of Big-D Construction Dale Satterthwaite, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and 309th Maintenance Wing Commander Col. Allan Day cut the ribbon to officially open the F-22 Hangar on Jan. 12 at Hill Air Force Base. The second phase of the hangar is now complete. Phase II complete, ready for Raptors BY JASEN ASAY Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau B efore explaining the importance of the base's new F-22 heavy maintenance facility, which was unveiled Jan. 12, Rep. Rob Bishop wondered aloud how long it would take to fill the 96,000-square-foot area with foam. According to Col. Allan Day, 309th Maintenance Wing Commander, the answer is close to 90 seconds. "It wouldn't go all the way to the ceiling," Day said of foam that would be dispensed from nozzles near the ceiling, installed in case of a fire. "The foam would just rise above the level of the plane." Hill Air Force Base showed off the completion of the second and final phase of the $45 million project, which houses an F-22 heavy maintenance facility and composite back shop, as well as seven aircraft maintenance docks. The 309th Maintenance Wing at Hill is one of two facilities in the nation that maintains, repairs and modifies F-22 fighter aircraft to meet current and evolving maintenance demands. "This facility greatly expands our capability to do that," said Maj. Gen. Andrew Busch, commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Center. Day said the maintenance hangar would be fully functional in the next few months, and the number of workers would increase from 168 to 230. The Air Force can have up to 12 F-22 jets out of the lineup and under repair at one time. In the past, Hill AFB had up to six in for repair while up to six were sent to "Sustainment will be more important than ever. We need to have a strong work force that will defend the country" ance." "We made a deliberate decision to avoid a 'hollow force' by prioritizing readiness over force structure," Schwartz said. "A smaller, ready force is preferable to a larger force that is ill-prepared because it lacks adequate resources." "We will become smaller in order to preserve a high-quality and ready force, one that will continue to modernize and grow more capable in the future," Schwartz said. command of Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in June. The command's 83,000 people manage $60 billion annually in research, development, test and evaluation while providing the acquisition management services and logistics support required to develop, procure and sustain Air Force weapon systems. Lt. Gen. Andrew E. Busch assumed the position as vice commander, Air Force Ma- teriel Command in July. He served prior to this as the Ogden Air Logistics Center commander at Hill AFB. Col. Bryan Radliff assumed command of the 419th Fighter Wing, U.S. Air Force Reserve, in July. As commander, he oversees a dynamic training program providing gaining commands with a force capable of worldwide deployment. The wing is made up of nearly 1,200 personnel in a variety of specialty areas to include F-16 operations, maintenance, and mission support. base support responsibility for the operation of the 1,500-squaremile Utah Test and Training Range. Col. Gregory P. Sarakatsannis assumed the command of Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Aviation at Ogden in June. Mahon serves as the single DLA face to the customer for all DLA organizations at Hill AFB and is responsible for the daily operations of all retail-level supply, storage and distribution support. role in June of vice commander of the 388th Fighter Wing. The wing's mission is to maintain combat readiness to deploy, employ and sustain F-16s worldwide to fight and win any conflict. The wing consists of eight squadrons, which maintain and operate 48 primary assigned F-16CM aircraft, as well as the 388th Range Squadron which is responsible for operations on the Utah Test and Training Range. The colonel is responsible for the readiness, training, morale and welfare of 1,500 personnel assigned to the wing. He is also responsible for the operational oversight of more than 1,200 Reserve maintainers and operators in the 419th Fighter Wing. Col. Frederick D. Thaden assumed the Chief Master Sergeant Jason L. France position in September of vice commander, 75th Air Base Wing. The wing supports the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, two fighter wings, 61 other associate units and directly supports Air Expeditionary Forces operations. The 75th Air Base Wing also has assumed the role in September of command chief master sergeant, 75th Air Base Wing. He is the senior enlisted leader for 1,100 enlisted personnel providing base support for the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, three wings and 61 tenant organizations. Air Force Col. Deirdre Mahon assumed a New ICBM building REP. ROB BISHOP who spoke at the ceremony contractor Lockheed Martin's site in Palmdale, Calif. Day said the new facility allows Hill AFB to work on all 12 if needed. "We work on what they bring us," Day said. Bishop said that while the F-35 fighter jet, which will replace the aging F-16, is the future, there is still great need to maintain the F-22 Raptors. "Sustainment will be more important than ever," Bishop said. "We need to have a strong work force that will defend the country." Hill planned to refurbish some existing hangars in the future and will provide maintenance for the F-35. Bishop said the maintenance work that will be provided to the fighter jets shows how important it is to keep jobs at Hill AFB. "I don't want people to naively think we're just trying to get jobs here," Bishop said. "But these jobs are needed." Big-D Construction was responsible for construction of the project. The company completed Phase 1, a 71,688-square-foot F-22 aircraft overhaul and test facility, in August 2010. BY BRYON SAXTON Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau T KIM COOK/U.S. Air Force Sen. Rob Bishop (left), R-Utah, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Vickie McCall, Air Force Association member and Hill honorary commander, pose after attending the ribbon cutting for the Northrop Grumman Building on March 12. The new building set the tone for Falcon Hill enhanced use lease program at the base with its enthusiastic reception. he ribbon cutting for the five-story Falcon Hill ICBM building further "cements" the viability of Hill Air Force Base and its future in remaining the state's largest singlesite employer, officials said. Dignitaries, along with a crowd of about 150 people, gathered March 12 to officially open the 151,783-square-foot building constructed for the ICBM defense contractor team led by Northrop Grumman. Northrop Grumman planned on moving nearly 650 people into the building in April, said Rich Essary, Hill AFB spokesman. The building is See FALCON HILL I page 6 |