Utah reservists critical to mission at Hill AFB
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Thomas Rich, a crew chief with the 419th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, prepares to launch an F-35A Lightning II for a flyover at a Weber State University football game April 10, 2021, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Pilots from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings collaborated for the flyover. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airmen Anthony Pham)
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Thomas Rich, a crew chief with the 419th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, prepares an F-35A Lightning II for a flyover at a Weber State University football game April 10, 2021, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Pilots from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings collaborated for the flyover. “I think this a great idea,” said Rich. “It will help boost morale for the college students, especially with Covid-19 going around.” Working one weekend a month and two weeks a year, Air Force reservists are expected to maintain the same level of training and proficiency as their active duty counterparts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airmen Erica Webster)
HILL AIR FORCE BASE — Senior Airman Thomas Rich, a crew chief in the 419th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, signals to an F-35A Lightning II pilot during launch procedures here April 10.
The 419th Fighter Wing’s unit training assembly, or UTA weekend, is a monthly drill where the wing’s nearly 1,300 personnel gather at Hill to remain proficient in their duties, hone their skills, and ensure they are ready to deploy.
About 80 percent of 419th FW personnel are part time, working here a minimum of one weekend a month, plus two weeks a year – and most of them live, raise families, and have civilian jobs in northern Utah. Part-time F-35 pilots, many of whom also work for commercial airlines, must often be here during the week to maintain proficiency in the Air Force’s newest fighter jet.
Most of the wing’s full-time reservists work in F-35 operations or maintenance and are critical to the day-to-day flying mission at Hill, working side by side with their active-duty counterparts in the 388th Fighter Wing.