Hill Air Force Base moved a step closer this week to securing $9 million for a new building that will house a consolidated 388th Fighter Wing munitions flight administrative/maintenance facility. Currently that facility is housed in four separate places on the base.

The latest action toward funding the new building came Thursday via legislation passed by the Senate as part of a Department of Defense military construction request for the coming fiscal year. Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, both R-Utah, took credit for helping Hill secure the $9 million.

Hill's building project includes the combining of the 388th and the 419th Fighter Wings as part of the Air Force's Future Total Force initiative, with the aim of making more efficient use of available resources.

Utah military construction projects total about $32 million for the next round of funding, which includes a total of almost $20 million for Hill projects and just over $12 million for a new readiness center for the Utah National Guard.

The funding is pending final passage of the legislation in Congress.