News Search

  • New aircraft coming to Hill AFB to support fighter training mission

    HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – Residents in the local community will see new aircraft regularly flying to and from the base as a handful of F-5 Advanced Tiger fighters arrived Sept. 28 to train alongside F-35A Lightning IIs from the 388th Fighter Wing.The Air Force recently awarded Tactical Air Support

  • Hill AFB F-35 pilots help memorialize 9/11 with Minnesota Twins flyover

    For Captain Charles Jax, a 388th Fighter Wing F-35A pilot and his team, the 9/11 memorial flyover is not only a display of military precision, but also a personal and professional reminder of why they serve, and the hope it informs younger generations on 9/11. Jax will be flying alongside his wife,

  • Exercise AGILE FLAG 24-3: Creating Mission Ready Airmen

    The 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9RW), Beale Air Force Base, participated in Exercise AGILE FLAG 24-3 throughout Southern California from July 31 to Aug. 11. This year’s iteration included the command and control Force Elements from the 23rd Wing, Moody Air Force Base, and the 9 RW. Exercise AGILE FLAG

  • 388th, 419th Fighter Wings aim to boost readiness, align training

    The active duty 388th and reserve 419th Fighter Wings from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, joined forces to complete the largest integrated off-station F-35A Lightning II exercise in their history, while they work toward synched deployment planning and training.

  • Maintainers assemble new engine trainer for first time

    Maintainers with the 388th Fighter Wing’s Logistics Support Squadron recently completed a project that will save training time and lost flying hours by creating a complete engine trainer. The trainer combines an old, unusable F-135 engine from Pratt and Whitney with a damaged aircraft already used

  • 388th Fighter Wing and RAAF integrate F-35A maintenance at Red Flag 24-1

    Maintainers from the 388th Fighter Wing, 421st Fighter Generation Squadron, and 3 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) recently joined forces at Red Flag 24-1, at Nellis Air Force Base, for bilateral maintenance training centered around the F-35A. The primary objective was to allow both

  • AF Year in Photos

    This year's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This annual feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • Restoring an F-35A Lightning II: A collaborative endeavor

    F-35 maintenance experts here are taking on a seemingly impossible task – stitching two mishap damaged aircraft together to a fully operational F-35A Lightning II. Led by the F-35 Joint Program Office, the project requires a “dream team” from the JPO, the 388th Fighter Wing, the Ogden Air Logistics

  • Hill AFB fighter wings deploy Airmen, F-35As to Japan

    This week, Active duty and Reserve Airmen from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings here deployed the F-35A Lightning II to Kadena Air Base, Japan, as part of an effort to assure allies and deter threats to stability in the Pacific region. 

  • 388th and 419th FW airman return to Hill following Middle East deployment

    Pilots, maintainers, and support personnel from the U.S. Air Force’s 388th Fighter Wing and U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 419th Fighter Wing have returned to Hill Air Force Base after completing their deployment of the F-35A Lightning II to U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility (AOR) throughout

  • 388th Fighter Wing awarded for William Tell performance

    The 388th Fighter Wing was recognized with the “Major Richard I. Bong Fighter Integration Trophy” after participating in the Air Force’s first William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Competition in 19 years, on Sept. 11-15, at the Air Dominance Center in Savannah, Georgia.

  • 552nd Air Control Wing posturing for BMC2 evolution during Agile Thunder

    The 552nd Air Control Wing concluded Agile Thunder, a readiness exercise at Tinker Air Force Base, Hill AFB, and Mountain Home AFB Aug. 14-25, 2023. Agile Thunder is a two-week exercise providing the units a chance to demonstrate operational readiness and agility while generating, employing, and

  • 419 FW puts on aerial display for collegiate aviation students

    The 419th Fighter Wing championed the efforts to bring the students of National Intercollegiate Flying Association, Safety and Flight Evaluation Conferences, competition an aerial display that they will never forget. The air was buzzing with anticipation when two thundering booms echoed through the

  • 621 CRW supports AGF 23-1; 366 FW Lead Wing certification

    Agile Flag 23-1 provided as a large, total force exercise at Savannah Air National Guard Base, Georgia, and it was where 102 Devil Raiders participated Feb. 28 to March 8 to provide one of Air Combat Command's Lead Wing, the 366th Fighter Wing from Mountain Home, Idaho, a relevant, combat credible

  • Hill Airmen support Agile Flag with F-35A

    The 4th Fighter Squadron and 4th Fighter Generation Squadron from the 388th Fighter Wing recently deployed six F-35 Lightning IIs and approximately 100 airmen from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in support of Agile Flag 23-1. The exercise was designed to test and certify Air Combat Command’s lead wings.

  • A Raptor in Hill Country

    TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- An F-22 Raptor previously assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing was loaded onto a C-5 Galaxy and taken from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, to the Hill Aerospace Museum located at Hill AFB, Utah, after being retired earlier this year.

  • New life for restored F-35 jet leads to valuable emergency training

    The 388th Maintenance Group recently hosted a first of its kind, F-35 crash recovery course here, using a newly-retired, now reassembled F-35A Lightning II. The F-35 Joint Program Office’s five-day Crash Damaged or Disabled Aircraft Recovery course included 29 maintainers from across the F-35

  • Total Force Integration is thriving in Utah

    The 552nd Air Control Wing is no stranger to Total Force Integration. We see it being practiced throughout the Wing, and its geographically separated units are no exception. At Hill Air Force Base, Utah, the Wing’s 729th Air Control Squadron can be found routinely partnering with the Utah Air

  • 388th FW sends F-35s to large-force joint integration exercise

    Hill's 388th Fighter Wing will participate in a four-day interoperability exercise at Whiteman Air Force Base involving active duty, guard and reserve fighter, bomber, refueling and support units from across the country. Exercise Agile Tiger is designed to meet training objectives consisting of

  • 388th OSS exploring agile communications options for F-35A

    The flow of information is critical in any war-time environment, and space and cyber capabilities almost completely dominate that arena for modern militaries. The 388th Fighter Wing’s Operations Support Squadron cyber Airmen are currently exploring high-speed communications options to support F-35A

  • Young F-35A maintainers benefitting from Red Flag experience

    Maintainers from the 421st Fighter Generation Squadron and the 419th FW's 466th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron are currently deployed to Red Flag, the Air Force’s premier combat exercise. They are generating multiple F-35A sorties twice a day to support the exercise’s large, complex scenarios. For

  • 388th Fighter Wing heads to Red Flag 22-1 as lead wing with F-35A

    Starting this week, the 388th Fighter Wing is serving as the lead wing at Red Flag, the Air Force’s premier combat exercise, which takes place at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, several times throughout the year. The 421st Fighter Squadron and 421st Fighter Generation Squadron, alongside Reservists

  • Air Combat Command Names Lead Wings 

    The commander of Air Combat Command has designated five units as Lead Wings as part of the combat air force’s transition to the service’s new force generation model. 

  • Airmen hand-paint F-35s for high-tech stealth

    With stealth designed in from Day One, the F-35 has an unmatched ability to evade enemy detection and enter contested airspace. The F-35’s aligned edges, reduced engine signature, internal carriage of weapons and fuel and embedded sensors all contribute to its unique stealth performance.

  • 388th OSS enhancing combat capability by taking on F-35A software

    Communications Airmen in the 388th Operations Support Squadron recently completed a combat training exercise successfully testing the first all-military support for the F-35A Lightning II’s Autonomic Logistics Information System. In the 388th Fighter Wing, the job of creating the first Air Force

  • Lightning Technician Program Airmen Complete Validation Exercise

    The 388th Maintenance Group completed a validation and verification exercise of its Lightning Technician Program last week. The Lightning Technician Program (LTP) is a section within the 421st Fighter Generation Squadron that is comprised of 48 multi-capable Airmen from five different AFSCs. LTP

  • 388th MUNS tailors munitions course to F-35A

    Airmen in the 388th Fighter Wing have created the first combat-coded F-35A Combat Munitions Training course to keep ammo troops familiar with every weapon in the Lightning II’s arsenal. The 388th Munitions Squadron is responsible for receiving, storing, building and transporting weapons to the

  • 84th RADES optimizes TPS-75, AF’s primary ground deployable radar

    The Control and Reporting Center team at the 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, evaluated the U.S. Air Force's primary ground deployable radar, the TPS-75 at the Oregon Air National Guard's 116th Air Control Squadron, Camp Rilea, Oregon, Sept. 7 – 24.

  • Prepare to have a safe school year

    Just like many of you, I have school age children at the beginning of this school year, and I want to make sure they have an enjoyable experience and stay safe. The National Safety Council has some tips on how to keep kids safe when returning to school. They break it down into three sections:

  • 388th Munitions Squadron begins new familiarization training regimen

    The 388th Munitions Squadron began a new training regimen recently encompassing each of their twelve different sections.Starting in the precision guided munitions section, Airmen from one of the other ten sections in the squadron received familiarization training on the Guided Bomb Unit-39 small

  • Hill Airmen return home after multinational exercises in Europe

    Aircraft and Airmen from the 4th Fighter Squadron returned to Utah this week after deploying the F-35A Lightning II to Europe a little more than a month ago. The squadron, compromised of active duty Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing and Reservists from the 419th FW here, participated in Atlantic

  • F-35 Demo Team meets F135 Engine Team

    Members of the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team visited Tinker Air Force Base to meet and thank the men and women of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex Heavy Maintenance Center for their work on the F135 engine that powers their aircraft.

  • 4th Fighter Squadron enhances interoperability during Atlantic Trident 21

    U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft and Airmen from the 4th Fighter Squadron, compromised of active duty Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing and reservists from the 419th FW, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, are participating in Atlantic Trident taking place at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base,

  • Hill Airmen, F-35 tested during concurrent exercises at Tyndall AFB

    Airmen from Hill’s fighter wings recently deployed the F-35A Lightning II to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., for concurrent training exercises – one a large-scale, joint-force air war, called Checkered Flag, the other an air-to-air weapons evaluation, Combat Archer.

  • Summer water safety; tragedy can be avoided

    Summertime is heading our way, and with the warm weather, more adventures abound. Whether you are into boating, swimming, kayaking, or paddle boarding, there will be water hazards.

  • Hill's fighter wings deploy F-35 to France

    U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft and Airmen from the 4th Fighter Squadron, compromised of active duty Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing, and reservists from the 419th FW, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, arrived at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base, France, May 10, 2021.

  • 34th Fighter Generation Squadron completes Agile Combat Employment exercise

    From April 27-30, Airmen from the 34th Fighter Squadron and 34th Fighter Generation Squadron completed an Agile Combat Employment (ACE) Exercise, designed to prepare Airmen to rapidly forward-deploy fighters and operate from a forward base. Pilots and maintainers from the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill

  • Reserve Airman makes history with innovative Project FoX/F-35 development

    For the first time ever, Air Force personnel livestreamed F-35 data directly from the aircraft’s mission systems computers to a connected computer tablet during a ground test March 31, 2021, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The event was a milestone for the Fighter Optimization eXperiment (FoX), a

  • 729th ACS participates in Agile Thunder exercise

    Validating its ability to deploy on a moment’s notice anywhere in the world and demonstrate air battle management command and control capabilities, the 729th Air Control Squadron recently participated in a mobility exercise called Agile Thunder.

  • F-35A maintainers at Hill training for more combat flexibility

    As the first active-duty, combat-coded F-35A unit in the Air Force with multiple European, Pacific and Middle East deployments under its belt, the 388th Fighter Wing, from Hill Air Force Base, is taking that experience and refining training processes to create more multi-capable Airmen who can

  • 388th Fighter Wing offers motorcycle training for Airmen   

    One of the sure signs of the spring thaw in Utah is motorcycle riders back out on the roads. The 388th Fighter Wing Safety Office is offering motorcycle safety courses to ensure that Airmen are trained properly and riding within Air Force regulations.

  • 552nd ACW is ‘snow’ mission ready

    Despite two rounds of heavy snow and arctic temperatures this week, the 552nd Air Control Wing remains mission ready, thanks to dedicated Airmen and the help of associated base partners.

  • 34th FGS maintainers provide fifth-generation airpower at Red Flag

    Maintainers from the 34th Fighter Generation Squadron, alongside Reservists from the 466th Aircraft Maintenance Unit deployed 12 F-35A Lightning IIs to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., from Jan. 25-Feb. 12. Day-and-night, the Airmen generated two sets of eight aircraft to meet the large-scale conflict

  • Education or Operational: F-35 Demo Team showcases combat capabilities

    When not flying at air shows across the world or practicing at their home-base, the F-35 Demonstration Team’s mission is the same as many of the Airmen in the 388th Fighter Wing, to be ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. The maintainers on the team are responsible for performing maintenance and

  • Awareness stimulates holiday safety

    With the holidays approaching, it is a good time to make a plan for staying safe. The hustle and bustle of shopping, driving, travelling, and planning celebrations brings increased risk, both at work and at home. Far too often this leads to injury or even death. By recognizing and being aware of

  • Two Hill fighter squadrons complete simultaneous combat exercises

    During the first two weeks of November, two of the 388th Fighter Wing’s F-35A Lightning II squadrons employed live weapons in combat training during simultaneous exercises here and at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Airmen from the 4th Fighter Squadron, including Reservists from the 419th FW, deployed

  • Enlisted Airmen are the gatekeepers for Hill’s fighter squadrons

    Just like tracking maintenance on an F-35 is critical to flying safety, so is tracking and documenting the performance of the “human weapon system” – pilots – and that job belongs to Squadron Aviation Resource Managers. Squadron Aviation Resource Manager is an enlisted career field that exists in

  • 53rd WEG hosts simultaneous WSEPs in Florida, Utah

    The 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group hosted both Weapons System Evaluation Program East and West from November 2-13, 2020. The WSEPs included more than 86 aircraft participating at the two installations in live-fire air-to-air and air-to-ground evaluations. 

  • 388th Maintenance Group reorganizes, stands up four new squadrons

    The 388th Maintenance Group held a joint ceremony here, provisionally standing up four new squadrons as part of a wing-wide reorganization effort aimed to streamline administrative and operational control over hundreds of maintainers and their mission, making them more agile and responsive as they

  • 729th Air Control Squadron Airmen return home from deployment

    Airmen assigned to the 729th Air Control Squadron were welcomed home by their unit and families Oct. 25 after nearly six months deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The squadron’s Airmen were dispersed to different locations in the AOR to provide 24/7 battle management and

  • 421st Fighter Squadron returns to Hill AFB

    Hundreds of Airmen from the expeditionary 421st Fighter Squadron returned to Hill Air Force Base today following a six-month deployment to Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. The deployment, in support of the United States Air Force Central Command mission, included both Airmen from the active

  • First USAF pilot hits 1,000 flying hours in F-35A

    On Oct. 22, 388th Fighter Wing pilots flew a four-on-six tactical intercept mission over the Utah Test and Training Range in the F-35A Lightning II, using sensors and stealth to take on the enemy. The sortie lasted roughly two hours. It would have been just like any of the thousands of other

  • 552nd ACW Airmen develop integrated opportunities with U.S. Army

    Ten Airmen from the 752nd and 552nd Operational Support Squadrons traveled to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, recently to develop integrated training opportunities with U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery personnel to better prepare for large-scale combat operations.

  • F-35A demo team, A-10 demo team brief capabilities to Laughlin students

    The roar of the F-35A Lightning II, from Hill Air Force Base shook the entire flightline and everyone watching, as it soared not too far above, on Oct. 13, 2020, at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. Small groups of student and instructor pilots speckled far beneath, as an A-10 Thunderbolt II, from

  • F-35 wings test combat capability

    The active duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing participated in a rigorous training exercise this week aimed at testing their combat capability. Pilots and maintainers from the wings have been flying and generating roughly 80 sorties per day, some into the nighttime hours.

  • 4th Fighter Squadron wraps up three weeks of training in Alaska

    The 388th Fighter Wing’s 4th Fighter Squadron, along with Reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing, returned Saturday after three weeks of training in Alaska, including Red Flag 20-3 at Eielson Air Force Base. Red Flag is a large force combat exercise that takes place several times each year at both