The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs continues its mission to support service members and their families across the state's various military installations, including Hill Air Force Base, which serves as a critical hub for air force materiel and logistics. This ongoing support follows the implementation of the Utah Military Lands Compatibility Program, which has been in effect since May 3, 2023, to protect training readiness from urban encroachment.
Hill Air Force Base Operations
Hill Air Force Base, located in northern Utah, remains a central pillar of the state's military infrastructure. According to the base's organizational data, the installation hosts the 75th Air Base Wing, which serves as the host organization. Other key units operating at the base include the 388th Fighter Wing, the 419th Fighter Wing, the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, and the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center.
In addition to these combat and logistics units, the base is home to the Air Force Life Cycle Management site. The installation provides essential warfighting support for worldwide combatant commanders and manages engineering and logistics for a variety of aircraft, including the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and A-10 Thunderbolt II. The base also handles depot maintenance for the F-16, A-10, and C-130 Hercules aircraft, and manages Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Diverse Military Installations
The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA) maintains that the state is proud to host several U.S. military installations that ensure national security and defense. The UDVMA is committed to partnering with these installations to assist in mission accomplishment and to develop innovative ways to provide a vibrant workforce, transportation networks, energy, and base support functions.
Beyond Hill Air Force Base, the state hosts several other specialized installations. The U.S. Army Tooele Army Depot supports global, multi-service Central Ammunition Management operations and provides ammunition-peculiar equipment to joint fighting forces. The U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, located in the Great Salt Lake Desert approximately 85 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, serves as a testing center for chemical and biological defense, meteorology smoke, and munitions. Since 2009, Dugway has also hosted the Army’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Rapid Integration and Acceptance Center (RIAC) to test high-end unmanned systems.
Training and Range Capabilities
Training capabilities in Utah are supported by expansive ranges and specialized sites. The Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR), located in northwestern Utah and eastern Nevada, provides the largest overland safety footprint available in the Department of Defense for aircrew training and weapons testing. The 388th Range Squadron operates and maintains the UTTR, providing infrastructure, software, and airspace necessary for Air Force operational test and training programs.
Another critical training site is Camp Williams, which is operated by the Utah Army National Guard. Located 26 miles south of Salt Lake City, the 28,000-acre site has a billeting capacity of 2,800 troops and serves as the main training site for the Utah National Guard, including artillery and engineers. The facility offers specialized training in winter, desert, mountain, and amphibious environments.
Mitigating Urban Encroachment
To manage the growing tension between military readiness and civilian expansion, Utah enacted HB 265. This legislation, which became effective on May 3, 2023, established the Utah Military Lands Compatibility Program to ensure compatible land use around eight key military installations. The program is designed to protect critical training facilities that contribute $19 billion to Utah's GDP.
The program utilizes a three-step process to manage land use. First, compatible use plans are created considering various factors. Second, municipalities and counties must notify the UDVMA of any land use change applications. Third, the UDVMA Executive Director assesses these proposed changes within a 90-day window, weighing property rights and landowner aspirations against the requirements of the military's mission.
Sentinel Landscape Conservation
Environmental and ecological preservation is also a factor in the management of Utah's military lands. The Great Salt Lake Sentinel Landscape (GSLSL) covers a 2.7 million-acre area in northern Utah where conservation, working lands, and national defense intersect. This landscape includes the Great Salt Lake and four military installations: Hill Air Force Base, Camp Williams, Tooele Army Depot, and the Air Force Little Mountain Test Facility.
Partners within the GSLSL work to balance ecological restoration and resilience with the requirements of national defense. This collaborative effort focuses on protecting wildlife, air quality, and military training activities within the Great Salt Lake Basin, addressing challenges such as water scarcity and regional development.
Air National Guard Role
The Utah Air National Guard also maintains a significant presence through the Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base, located on the east side of the Salt Lake International Airport. This base is the home of the 151st Wing, which consists of five functional groups: the 151st Operations Group, 151st Maintenance Group, 151st Mission Support Group, 151st Medical Group, and 151st Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group.
The 151st Wing operates the KC-135R Stratotanker for air refueling, aeromedical evacuation, and cargo missions. This unit serves both the Governor of Utah and the President of the United States, continuing a legacy of service that dates back to 1946.
Community Advocacy
The Utah Defense Alliance (UDA) also works to promote the vitality of these installations. Formed in the mid-1990s, the UDA is a community advocacy organization that maintains relationships with senior military leadership and state and federal officials to ensure the continued operational success of installations like Hill Air Force Base.
