Bush's budget may mean Hill is safe for now

HILL AIR FORCE BASE — If recent indications ring true, Hill Air Force Base could be safe from the chopping block.

President Bush's proposed budget includes new monies for the base, and the Utah Legislature is debating whether to allocate $15 million from the state's general fund to invest in economic development around the base.

The federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission is scheduled to release a list of proposed military base closures on May 16.

Although he is nervous about the outcome, Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, said all signs are pointing to a happy ending for Utah and Hill Air Force Base.

"The president's budget included some more money for Hill — that isn't the kind of thing you do for a base you are planning to close," Bennett said Thursday. "And this ceremony certainly didn't sound like a pre-closing ceremony."

Bennett was in town with Sen. Orrin Hatch and Rep. Rob Bishop, both R-Utah, for a formal military ceremony at Hill Thursday afternoon. The Ogden Air Logistics Center activated four new wings in an effort to better align Hill's operations with the U.S. Air Force.

Nothing major will change at the base. The mission and workload will remain the same. The only difference is now the Ogden Air Logistics Center's personnel will be organized into wings, groups and squadrons rather than the current directorate and division structure, said Maj. Gen. Kevin Sullivan, commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Center.

The new wings have nothing to do with swaying the BRAC process, Sullivan said.

After the ceremony, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and members of the state's congressional delegation chimed in on the importance of saving Hill from the BRAC list.

"It's critically important to our economic health," Huntsman said. "It's essential for the economic well-being of the state. And I as governor along with the full congressional delegation will do whatever we can to protect its operational integrity and its viability going forward."

Bennett said Utah leaders have been working together for years to tell Hill's story so the base is not forgotten in the next round of BRAC closures.

A multimillion-dollar investment to bring the F/A-22 fighter jet to the base could help Hill's chances, Bennett said.

Bush allocated $36.7 million in appropriations to Hill in his proposed budget, including $4.6 million for a "battle damage repair facility" for the F/A-22 fighters and $19.5 million for an addition to a software support center.

The F-16s currently flying over the base will likely be replaced with the F/A-22, Bennett said. Hill officials said a deal is in the works, but nothing is confirmed yet.

The plane is so fast, the Department of Defense will need vast spaces to land the stealth fighter. The Utah Test and Training Range will be crucial to bringing the F/A-22 to Utah, Bennett said.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said this "mother of all BRACs" will shut down a quarter of the military's infrastructure, or about 100 bases. Closing or consolidating military bases could save $7 billion annually, the Defense Department reported.

In March, Bush will nominate the nine-member commission that will ultimately decide which bases will be targeted to close. Jim Hansen, the former longtime congressman from Utah, is on the list of proposed commissioners waiting to be approved by the president.

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com