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  • 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,

  • 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.

  • F-35 Demo Team announces new pilot and commander

    U.S. Air Force Capt. Melanie “MACH” Kluesner, an F-35A Lightning II pilot assigned to the 421st Fighter Squadron, became the new certified pilot and commander of the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team during the Air Combat Command Heritage Flight Training Course at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,

  • Bamboo Eagle’s scale provides valuable lessons for Hill Airmen

    Airmen from the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings deployed with the 421st Fighter Squadron and Fighter Generation Squadron recently returned from Bamboo Eagle, a week-long exercise that took place over expanses of the western United States and eastern Pacific Ocean. 

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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.

  • ‘Top Gun’ or ‘A Beautiful Mind?’

    Hollywood fighter-pilots are smiling, swaggerific, sunglassed men and women always looking to beat somebody at something. In reality, F-35A Lightning II pilots are not simply daredevils with skill and guts, willing to strap themselves to a single engine with 40,000 pounds of thrust. They are also

  • 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

  • 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

  • Red Flag-Nellis 22-1 kicks off with allied forces

    Nearly 100 aircraft and 3,000 personnel have arrived at Nellis Air Force Base to participate in the first Red Flag exercise of 2022. Aimed at providing realistic training and increasing combat effectiveness, the exercise will run from Jan. 24 to Feb. 11.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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

  • ACC to Align Fighter Squadron Ops and Maintenance

    Air Combat Command is changing the aircraft maintenance organizational structure to improve synchronization between maintenance and fighter squadrons. Pairing fighter squadrons with a dedicated fighter generation squadron will foster unity of effort between maintenance and operations as well as

  • 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.

  • Hill F-35 pilots prepare for worst-case water scenarios

    U.S. Air Force F-35 pilots from the 419th and 388th Fighter Wings met with specialists in Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape – better known as SERE – at a local indoor swimming pool near Hill AFB for a hands-on refresher course on how to survive following ejection. That included simulated

  • 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

  • Hill Airmen deploy F-35A for large combat exercise

    Airmen from the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing here are deploying to Nellis AFB, Nev., to take on a tough adversary – other Airmen. Approximately 200 Airmen from Hill AFB will participate in Red Flag 21-1 from Jan. 25 to Feb. 12.

  • Team Hill tests near-instant launch capabilities of fighter wings

    Team Hill carried out a short-notice exercise, launching F-35A Lightning IIs to intercept two civilian “red air” aircraft over the Utah Test and Training Range. The exercise tested the ability of the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings to perform nearly instantaneous launches from Hill

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 388th Fighter Wing develops leaders with every sortie

    The 388th Fighter Wing launches between 50-100 combat training sorties nearly every day from Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The training program is crucial not only to prepare for deployments, but also to develop leaders who will push the Air Force's F-35 capabilities further in the future.

  • Hill Airmen take F-35 to Alaska for three weeks of training

    Airmen from the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings are heading north with the F-35A for three weeks of training alongside a variety of other Air Force units at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Different from the Red Flags the wing has completed at Nellis AFB, Nevada, which focused

  • For third time, Hill AFB fighter wings deploy F-35As to Middle East

    For the third time in approximately 12 months, Airmen from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings deployed F-35A Lighting IIs into combat. The 421st Fighter Squadron departed Hill AFB recently for Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, to support the United States Air Force Central Command mission in

  • First group of Airmen from Hill’s 34th Fighter Squadron return home

    Airmen from the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings returned home following a six-month deployment to the Middle East. The 34th Fighter Squadron’s deployment, which started in November, 2019, was first F-35 Immediate Response Force deployment as well as the second F-35A Lightning II

  • 388th FW maintainers using 3D printer to supply masks

    Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, protective face masks have been in demand world-wide. Instead of first procuring them from a dwindling supply, needed for healthcare workers and first-responders, Airmen in the 388th Fighter Wing are doing their best to contribute.

  • Hill fighter wings continue flying operations amid COVID-19 crisis

    The active duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing are continuing to train and fly the F-35A Lightning II despite the current global Coronavirus outbreak in segmented operations that allows separation between groups of Airmen who may be needed to deploy at any time.

  • 4th Fighter Squadron returns to Hill after first F-35A combat deployment

    Last week, Airmen from the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings returned home following a six-month deployment to Al-Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. The 4th Fighter Squadron’s deployment, which started in April, was the first F-35A Lightning II combat deployment. The Airmen

  • Hill’s 388th Fighter Wing hosts Utah Make-A-Wish families

    Four children and their families from Make-A-Wish Utah visited the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base and earned their wings during a "Pilot for a Day" program here Oct. 18. Make-A-Wish grants the life-changing wishes of children battling a critical illness.

  • 388th Fighter Wing completes surge operations, prepares for night flying

    The active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings wrapped up a local flying surge last week and are preparing to begin night-flying training next week. From Sept. 9-13, the 34th and 421st Fighter Squadrons flew 240 sorties, roughly doubling what they normally fly in a week.The flying surge came

  • Record-setting first sortie for wing's newest F-35A

    The 388th Fighter Wing set a speed record for bringing online a newly-delivered aircraft last week, flying a local sortie less than five hours after accepting delivery of its 68th F-35A Lightning II. F-35A program’s production and delivery plan was designed to allow rapid aircraft induction and

  • F-35A to participate in 'Gunfighter Flag' exercise

    The 34th Fighter Squadron, from Hill Air Force Base’s 388th Fighter Wing, will fly the F-35A Lightning II alongside other Air Force units in Gunfighter Flag here next week.The exercise, similar to larger combat exercises like Red Flag at Nellis AFB, Nevada, will bring together various Air Force

  • Largest off-station F-35A operation to date

    Since May 30, the 388th Fighter Wing’s 34th Fighter Squadron has been flying out of Mountain Home in what has been the largest off-station F-35A Lightning II operation to date.The squadron, normally stationed at Hill AFB, Utah, is functioning as a detachment with about 300 Airmen in operations,

  • Exercise Point Blank fires on all cylinders

    The 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England, refueled several F-35A Lightning IIs, assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing, in support of Exercise Point Blank, over the North Sea, June 27, 2019. Point Blank is an exercise focused on fourth and fifth-generation aircraft integration. It is

  • Hill F-35As arrive at Spangdahlem

    The U.S. Air Force has deployed one squadron of F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft, Airmen, and associated equipment to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings, at Hill AFB, Utah, to participate in exercises and conduct training with other Europe-based aircraft as part

  • Load 'em up: F-35A from A to B? Ask Fanter

    How do you pack an F-35A into a C-17? Or move nearly 300 Airmen, and all the equipment, to support 12 aircraft around Europe for two months? Or make sure you have enough of everything that you’ll need, and almost nothing that you don’t?For nearly 5 years at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, the answer has

  • Hill fighter wings conduct combat exercise

    The active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings conducted an integrated combat capability exercise April 30-May 2.The friendly and enemy forces were made up of F-35s from Hill, F-16s from the 311th Fighter Squadron at Holloman AFB, New Mexico and 80th FS at Kunsan Air Base, Korea, and a team

  • Hill F-35A units assist in F-16 fighter training

    Brand new F-16 pilots received a unique training experience here with the help of the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings and the F-35A Lightning II.For the last two weeks, F-16 basic course students and instructor pilots from the 311th Fighter Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base, New

  • Combat exercise, weapons evaluations mean busy May at Hill

    Communities surrounding Hill Air Force Base will notice increased flying and numbers of aircraft through much of May as the base’s fighter wings conduct a large combat exercise and host a weapons evaluation.The active duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing, along with F-16 units from

  • Night ops

    Airman from the 388th Fighter Wing’s 421st Fighter Squadron and 421st Aircraft Maintenance unit launched the F-35A Lightning II during night flying operations at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, March 26, 2019.

  • F-35A crew swap provides flexibility for training, combat

    Maintainers and pilots in the 388th Fighter Wing recently completed the first operational rapid crew swap exercise with the F-35A Lightning II.Other aircraft like bombers, tankers, helicopters, and twin engine fighters have been doing ‘hot crew swaps’ for some time. Until now, it hasn’t been safe to

  • F-35A maintainers, special ops team for forward refueling

    America’s most advanced aircraft integrated with a variant of one of its oldest and truest airframes this week to provide more combat flexibility to the Air Force.For the first time, Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, Utah, and Airmen from the 26th Special Tactics Squadron and the 27th

  • Hill Airmen, F-35 a lethal combo at Red Flag

    Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing’s 4th Fighter Squadron wrapped up flying operations with the F-35A Lightning II in an “exponentially more challenging” Red Flag. The 4th FS integrated the F-35A into a large, capable “Blue Force” in diverse missions against an equally capable “Red Force.” Nearly

  • Red Flag strengthens F-35A maintainers

    After more than two weeks launching F-35A sorties at Red Flag 19-1, maintainers with the 388th Fighter Wing are impressed with the jet and the young airmen who help maintain it. The 4th Fighter Squadron and 4th Aircraft maintenance unit brought 12 jets and more than 200 Airmen from Hill Air Force