Hilltop Times – Hill Air Force Base Weekly Newspaper Since 1948

The Viper West team will see several new faces in the new year, including its own officer in charge.

Air Combat Command's West Coast F-16 Fighting Falcon Demonstration Team, better known as Viper West, which operates here, is one of two single-ship F-16 demonstration teams in ACC. Maj. David "Booster" Graham, the team's demonstration pilot and officer in charge from 2009-2010, will transfer his duties to Capt. Garrett "Mace" Dover after Dover's certification flight Dec. 27.

America First Credit Union gave more than 100 new shoes to children of active duty military service members here Dec. 16 for its fifth year participating in the bank's "Warm the Soles" annual donation drive.

"This year we gave 102 pairs of new shoes to the children here," said Kassi Hess, lead teller at the America First Community Branch at Hill Air Force Base. "This was the highest amount of shoes we've given over the years."

Welcome back, Mr. Miller!” read a yellow banner outside of Kaysville Junior High School on Nov. 11. 

The school's former vice principal, Rick Miller, returned as keynote speaker for a special Veteran's Day assembly to talk about his recent six-month deployment to Sather Air Base, Iraq. There, the junior high school vice principal was not called "Mr. Miller," but was addressed as Senior Master Sgt. Rick Miller, Heavy Equipment Shop superintendent for the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron.

Students from the local school districts here will send 3,500 thank-you cards to present and past U.S. veterans of foreign wars this Veterans Day.

The fourth through sixth grade students at Hill Field Elementary School have taken LEGO building and the board game "Operation" to futuristic levels through their newest science project.

The students are building functional robots from LEGO kits, programming the robots via computer software, and building two obstacle fields that represent parts of the human body through which the robots will maneuver in board-game fashion; and they are accomplishing all this one day per week after school lets out.

The 388 th Spouses Round Up team exceeded its goal of raising more than $25,000 from its annual live and silent auction fundraiser held at Club Hill on Sept. 17.

Free info and baby items offered to expectant parents

Whether you are pregnant with your first child or your fourth child, it is always good to know the basics on keeping your baby healthy and safe.

Although the title may indicate a specific wing of Hill Air Force Base, the 388th Spouse’s Round Up has benefited all military and civilians who have used the base’s quality-of-life programs for the past nine years. The Round Up is one of the few large-scale fundraisers at Hill AFB that benefits more than 13 programs which help Hill Airmen and their families, such as Operation Warm Heart, Hearts Apart, Hill Hero Dolls and Airmen Against Drunk Driving. 

The 10th annual silent and live auction fundraiser will happen Sept. 17 at Club Hill, starting at 5 p.m. 

Last week, the Base Chapel transformed into a rain forest oasis during the evenings as it hosted its annual Vacation Bible School camp Aug. 2-6. The projected date for next year's VBS is Aug. 1 through Aug. 5.

This year's VBS theme was "SonQuest Rainforest" and the newly renovated chapel, as well as the Chapel Annex, were decorated with tropical sets while children attended tropical-themed activities and classes.

More than 70 dresses were added to the Belle of Ball program's closet after its donation drive Aug. 10.

"Today we increased our dress inventory by 40 percent by holding this dress drive," said Kay Zobrist, who co-organizes the free special occasion dress loan program with another wing commander's spouse, Heather Higby. Zobrist is the spouse of Col. Scott Zobrist, 388th Fighter Wing commander, and Higby is the spouse of 75th Air Base Wing Commander Col. Patrick Higby.