HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — The "sounds of freedom" of fighter jets from Hill Air Force Base are no strangers to people in Davis and Weber Counties.
Air Force aircraft from all over the country come to Utah for upgrades, repairs and maintenance at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base.
"We're the readiness backbone for the entire United States Air Force,” explained Brig. Gen. Hall Sebren, Commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Complex. “I hope Utahns are really proud that that’s in their backyard.”
With every screw tightened, part assembled and machine fixed at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, crews are making our country stronger.
It maintains and repairs aircraft from all over the Air Force. Officials showed us a maintenance facility for F-16s.
“It’s what’s going to enable us to fly the F-16s from now until the 2040s and still be relevant in a combat environment,” Sebren said.
He said crews do structural upgrades, any repairs and enhance the weapons systems on these aircraft.
"I was in the Air Force myself. I know what the mission is of these things,” said Jacob Medina, structures production flight chief for 573rd. “I know how vital it is to our troops downrange and having the opportunity to take these things apart and put them back together and getting them back to do the mission they were built to do, that's an awesome feeling."
Hill Air Force Base is home to one of just three depots across the country doing this work. Sebren said aircraft stay for about 400 days for repairs and test flights before being sent back. It's a job that people here said they take pride in doing and supporting our nation's freedom.
"We're putting a pilot in that seat. It has to be safe,” Medina said. “These aircrafts fly over our homes, over our families’ homes, so we have to make sure it’s done with the highest quality standards."
Sebren said most of their employees are civilian crews, leveraging their trade skills. The Ogden Air Logistics Complex also services F-35s, F-22s, a naval aircraft and others.
"Think about a box that goes into an airplane, a brake, a wheel, landing gear, all gets done here for all the aircrafts in the Air Force inventory, so we like to call ourselves 'America's Depot,' and we're just super proud of what we're able to do every day,” Sebren said.