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| September 6th, 2007 |
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Media Contact(s): Jared Whitley 202-224-5251 |
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Printable Version |
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CONGRESS DEDICATES $9M FOR HAFB PROJECT
Senate Approves Hatch Request for Hill Flight Maintenance Project |
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Washington – The U.S. Senate today passed legislation to fund Department of Defense military construction in the next fiscal year, including millions of dollars secured by Senators Orrin G. Hatch and Robert Bennett (R-Utah) for a critical new facility at Hill Air Force Base (HAFB).
“Hill Air Force Base’s continued success in winning Congressional projects like this demonstrates its track record of success for helping the Air Force fly to new heights,” Hatch said. “I will always fight for Hill in the Senate and look forward to seeing the results of this new project.”
The funding bill, H.R. 2642, includes $9.2 million to build a new Consolidated 388th Fighter Wing Munitions Flight Administrative/Maintenance Facility Munitions Maintenance Facility. Currently, the 388th’s Munitions Flight uses four geographically separate buildings to conduct non-explosive maintenance operations. This not only has an effect on the Flight’s ability to manage effectively personnel and resources, it also hinders the efficient execution of the unit’s mission. The new facility will address these problems while simultaneously creating openings for 24 new personnel with the Flight.
This project will also be an important part of a new initiative called the Future Total Force (FTF). Under this initiative, Hill has been chosen to examine if two F-16 wings can maintain their capabilities to perform existing peacetime, steady-state and wartime-surge operations through a more efficient use of available resources. Under FTF, the 419th Fighter Wing will give up its older Block 30 F-16s and use the 388th active wing’s Block 40 aircraft. The Air Force believes that this will create a truly synergistic environment. The experience of the 419th will be passed on to the 388th, while the 419th gains access to even more effective equipment. This project will provide some of the physical infrastructure necessary to implement this initiative.
“Given the challenges of fighting the global war on terror, the Air Force is looking for new and innovative ways to streamline its operations,” Hatch said. “Not only will this new center provide a standard for more efficient operations, but it will put our younger active airmen in a position to learn from our seasoned crews in the reserve. This plan is a win-win."
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