KAYSVILLE—Hill Air Force Base (HAFB) is the largest single employer with 27,000 members but not everyone knows what goes on there. Col. Jeffrey G. Holland, 75th Air Base Wing and Installation Commander gave an update to the Davis Chamber last week about what’s happening at the base.

“There are amazing things that are only done at Hill,” said Holland. “One of the biggest is support installation for the Ogden Air Logistics Complex. If you walk into a hangar you’ll see the F16 skin peeled away being rebuilt for the U.S. Air Force.”

 When President Biden went to Kyiv the 388th Fighter Wing was called in, he said. “While he was on the train going to Kyiv the 388th was on the ground in Poland ready to step in with an immediate response of force if the Russians tried anything.”

Airplanes are flying computers, said Holland. “There’s a lot of software that goes into flying and the aircraft has kept up with technology. That’s a huge piece of Hill’s operation that most people don’t even know exists.”

The Minuteman missile was first built in the 1970s and designed to last 10 years, he said. “They’re still going now and the maintenance on the equipment is done at HAFB. The Sentinel missile is the replacement for the Minuteman. Its capabilities are terrifying to bad guys.”

Holland said the Utah Test and Training Range, operated by Hill, is very important to the nation. “We can launch missiles into space and see what they can take. Air to ground inert training is typically done there.”

The area around the base is growing, he said. “The population around HAFB is shifting to the north. When airmen come to Utah they tend to want to stay, especially those nearing retirement.”

Hill and the state partnered in an Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) that allows Hill to competitively lease underutilized land to a private entity. Then the land is developed into commercial property. “HAFB has a lot of very valuable land,” said Holland. “It’s a way to keep all of the money inside of the state. It’s a unique opportunity for the community and for the base. As the community gets bigger we’ll create the infrastructure along the way.”

It matters where you live, he said. “You want to step out of work and go home. We do have our challenges though. Folks don’t always feel as welcome as they should. The community can be tough to get into.”

Holland said Hill wants to foster inclusive communities. “We want to help. We need Hill to be a popular place. We want airmen to want to come here. We’re team players.”