Hill Air Force Base key to Utah’s Economy

They say everyone loves a parade. Certainly my grandchildren love the parade for the same reason my children did years ago: the free candy thrown to the crowd by firemen, policemen and other participants on various floats. Proud parents line the streets to see their children march in the high school band or display a cheerleader uniform for the first time. While all those are great, my favorite part of any 4th of July parade is the beginning.

Independence Day parades begin in Utah as they do all across the United States. Before the sirens blare on the red fire engines, before the horseshoes clip the asphalt beneath the 4-H club members, something remarkable happens.

It’s the reverent silence before the celebration.

When the color guard marches the flag we take pause. We stand and we watch respectfully as “Old Glory” glides by.

I appreciate those moments when we-- as individuals, as communities and as citizens--take time to reflect on our heritage as Americans. Visions of the Continental Congress signing the Declaration of Independence, Yankees battling Confederates at Gettysburg, “Rosie the Riveter” doing her part to sustain the war effort as the Allies win the Battle of the Bulge and turn back the Nazi army, and young men and women serving their country in Korea, Vietnam or the middle east, in times of war and peace. Truly we owe a debt of gratitude to those who have spent their lives to establish, protect, promote and improve the United States of America.

Utah is one of the most patriotic states in the Union. Maybe it’s because we had to fight a little harder to gain statehood. Maybe it is because of the strong military presence along the Wasatch Front. We are the proud home of Camp Williams, home of the Utah National Guard. Fort Douglas, originally established by President Abraham Lincoln, is Utah’s mini-Pentagon housing the Navy, Marines and the Army Reserve.

Hill Air Force Base is Utah’s largest military outpost providing worldwide engineering and logistics management for the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Many residents of Davis and Weber counties have grown so accustomed to the F-16s circling overhead, they don’t even hear them anymore. Complete with a 13,500-foot runway capable of accommodating any aircraft in the Air Force inventory, in a typical year, HAFB logs in excess of 50,000 takeoffs and landings.

Originally known as Hill Field, Hill Air Force Base took on its current name in 1948 and has played a vital role in every war and major military effort since World War II.

The 75th Air Base Wing, one of four wings under the Ogden Air Logistics Center, supports all wings of the Ogden ALC, two fighter wings, 46 other associate units, and directly supports Air and Space Expeditionary Forces operations. The 75th Air Base Wing also has base support responsibility for the operation of the 1,500-square-mile Utah Test and Training Range.

But Hill Air Force Base is more than just a major military base; it is a major factor in our economy. HAFB is the largest employer in Utah with a payroll of over $960 million yearly. Eight of ten workers on base are civilians, each doing his or her part to sustain our local economy and defend out country. The current value of the base acreage, buildings, equipment, and inventories is estimated to exceed $4.5 billion.

Hill Air Force Base employs over 45,000 workers (civilian and military personnel) and contributes over $3.5 billion annually to the state’s economy. The tax revenue alone is around $190 billion. As difficult as it can be to quantify, HAFB contributes about $542 per capita in personal income for everyone living in the state of Utah.

Clearly, Utah is a better place to live because of the contributions of the United States Military and the men and women who serve our country. So when you see a member of our Armed Forces this holiday weekend or any other time throughout the year, make sure you take time to offer a handshake and say “thank you” for the support these fine men and women give to our country.

They should always be the star of the parade.