Hill Air Force Base

As the sixth largest and most important employer in Utah, Hill AFB is located in the northern side of the state, close to Odgen and Clearfield. It is almost 50 km from Salt Lake City. The base is run by the Air Force and named in the memory of Ployer Peter Hill, who passed away in 1935 while testing one of the latest military aircrafts of those times – B 17 Flying Fortress. The units hosted in the area have the objective to manage some of the most important operations regarding engines, missiles, aircraft and software. At the same time, it supports the Odgen Air Logistics Center.

History

The place was initially settled for an air mail network around Utah. Multiple spots around the state joined the battle for an airfield, but this one was by far a front runner. The government decided to pump over $8M for the initial construction. It was opened in 1940, exactly 13 months before the Pearl Harbor attack. That was when the United States of America decided to join World War II. The place hosted over 22000 inhabitants throughout the war, representing a key spot on the US map. Over the duration of World War II, the base dealt with 24/7 operations for supplies and maintenance, supporting the war in most theaters. It hosted planes like B 24, P 61, A 26, B 29 and A 17.

In 1944, the general mission of the base was changed. It was turned into a storage site for old fashioned aircrafts that were slowly taken out of the fight, such as P 40 Tomahawk, B 24 Liberator, P 40 Warhawk or P 47 Thunderbolt. The current name was given in 1948, as the Air Force became independent after tearing itself apart from the US Army.

Over the Korean War, Hill AFB became extremely important. The storage site represented a good “hive” of aircrafts. Many of them were reconditioned and fixed, then sent to war. Some of them were also used in the Vietnam War. Even since the Vietnam War, the base was used as a testing place for some of the latest aircrafts used by the Air Force. The mission hasn’t changed since then. Some of the popular planes that were tested there include F 16 Fighting Falcon or C 130 Hercules.

The camp also hosts the Hill Aerospace Museum on site. The visitors can see and admire over 80 planes spread over 30 acres. The museum is hosted on site since 1991.

Units

The two most important units hosted on site are the 388-th Fighter Wing and the 75-th Air Base Wing, with all their subdivisions. Among the tenant units, you can also count the 419-th Fighter Wing, the 309-th Maintenance Wing and the 562-th ICBMSG.

Housing

In order to be hosted on site, you need to contact the Hill AFB housing office. You will be asked to complete an application and wait for an answer. If you are looking for off site accommodation or a temporary deployment, you can always rely on the privatized system.