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Show Hilltop HILLTOP TIMES TIMES May 8, 2014 5 Hill fighter wings prep to receive F-35A BY STAFF SGT. CHRISTINA JUDD 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — The 419th Fighter Wing annual training here is providing reservists and their active-duty counterparts in the 388th FW with immersion training on the Air Force's newest fighter jet, the F-35A Lightning II. Airmen from Hill's fighter wings, including pilots, maintainers, logisticians, and support personnel, are getting real-time experience while working alongside the 33rd Fighter Wing. "The F-35 is going to be an important aircraft for the future of the Air Force," said Tech. Sgt. David Sudak, 419th crew chief. "It will provide flexibility both for maintenance and air crews." Hill AFB has been selected as the first base to receive the F-35A, with the first operational jets to arrive in fall 2015. Planning is currently underway for three operational F-35A squadrons at Hill and aircraft deliveries are expected to be phased in ovr a three-year period with full conversion anticipated by March 2019. STAFF SGT. CHRISTINA JUDD/U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Nick Lauer and Staff Sgt. Christina Garner, both with the 419th Maintenance Squadron, and Staff Sgt. Jason Laufenburger, 388th Component Maintenance Squadron, restore an F-16 and prepare it for flight. Team Hill sent members from both the 419th and 388th Fighter Wings to receive hands-on training with the F-35A in preparation for its arrival next year. Voluntary Protection Plan members take Morton Salt tour 75th Air Base Wing Safety A group of 12 Team Hill Voluntary Protection Plan members toured the Morton Salt factory in Grantsville, recently. The Grantsville plant is a VPP "Star" site — an OSHArecognized distinction for exemplary achievement in workplace safety, said Maj. Sean Gradney, 75th Air Base Wing Safety chief. "As the members of Team Hill seek VPP Star recognition for their respective organizations, it has become critical to leverage opportunities to interact with VPP mentors in private industry, such as Morton Salt," Gradney said. Morton uses 15,000 acres of evaporation ponds to produce and distribute varying grades of salt for human and livestock consumption, water softening, and de-icing. Hill's VPP group was able to tour the company's harvesting and processing facilities, including their operations, administrative and mainte- nance sections. "Though Morton Salt is a private company, they offered many lessons learned from their VPP journey," Gradney said. Many of the company's high-risk workload tasks are accomplished by robots and/ or conveyor systems in order to keep the employees free of injuries, he said. Many employees also performed in several locally-made worksite safety videos. "It was apparent the employees clearly run the VPP action plan," Gradney said. "Overall, our attendees were very impressed with Morton's strong safety culture and brought back many lessons learned for discussion and implementation." Gradney said Morton Salt is also looking into visiting the base in the near future to perform a site assessment to prepare Team Hill for the VPP Star Site application process. "The key takeaway from the visit (to Morton Salt) Courtesy photo Voluntary Protection Plan members toured the Morton Salt factory in Grantsville. was that VPP is an employee driven program," Gradney said, "and the ability of an organization to be successful cultural acceptance and a bein their VPP journey relies in lief in VPP at all levels of the part upon the ability to foster organization." 419th reservists train to fuel F-35 fighter jets BY SENIOR AIRMAN CRYSTAL CHARRIERE 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SENIOR AIRMAN CRYSTAL CHARRIERE/U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Daniel Millard, fuels specialist in the 419th Logistics Readiness Squadron, refuels the F-35A Lightning II at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., last week. During their two-week annual training, 419th Fighter Wing reservists were certified to refuel F-35s in preparation for their arrival to Hill Air Force Base in fall 2015. Combat From 1 "During this time, residents around Hill may notice an increase in aircraft taking off from the base with about 40 additional sorties being flown each day as part of this Air Force test and evaluation program," said Lt. Col. Ian Phillips, 86th FWS, Detachment 1 commander. Units participating in the Air Force Weapons System Evaluation Program for air-to-surface munitions, known as Combat Hammer, in- EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — During their twoweek annual training here, reservists from the 419th Logistics Readiness Squadron were certified to refuel the F-35A Lightning II in preparation for the jet's arrival to Hill AFB in fall 2015. "The opportunity to have this sneak peek into the refueling process of an F-35 will reduce or eliminate the learning curve for us when we get this aircraft at Hill," said Senior Airman Timothy Potter, fuels specialist in the 419th LRS. "Our experience here will make what we do safer and more efficient." Tech. Sgt. Jacob Rosser, also a fuels specialist, said the F-35 refueling process is similar to the F-16, so it's not a matter of being retrained, but becoming familiar with the aircraft. "It's cool being right on the front line and seeing the jets up close," Rosser said. "The job satisfaction comes from knowing that without fuels, pilots would be pedestrians." dude: F-16s from Shaw AFB, S.C.; F-15Es from Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.; and F-22s from Tyndall AFB, Fla. B-2s from Whiteman AFB, Mo.; B-52s from Barksdale AFB, La.; and MQ-9s from Creech AFB, Nev., will participate in Combat Hammer from other locations. |