Hilltop Times – Hill Air Force Base Weekly Newspaper Since 1948

The first Airman to complete the 388th Fighter Wing's Project Warrior Challenge was honored for this feat during the wing's quarterly awards ceremony held July 30 at Hangar 37.

Senior Airman Brandon Novenario, an avionics sensor technician with the 388th Component Maintenance Squadron, began the Project Warrior Challenge after its inception last February and he completed the series of challenges April 22.

The Belle of the Ball free dress loan program will host a donation drive Aug. 10, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., at the Base Theater, Building 441.

"Unfortunately some of the dresses in our inventory are a little dated which is why we like to have an annual dress drive to keep our inventory current," says Kay Zobrist, spouse of Col. Scott Zobrist, 388th Fighter Wing commander, and co-organizer of the dress loan program with Heather Higby, spouse of 75th Air Base Wing Commander Col. Patrick Higby.

More than two years ago, Stephen Bradshaw was cleaning his basement when memories of a war 20 years past returned to him through the contents in a plain box. In the box were letters he had written to his wife, Diane, since the inception of Operation Desert Shield in August of 1990 and, subsequently, the start of Operation Desert Storm in January of 1991.

June 21-28 is Bicyclist and Pedestrian Safety Week, ensuring that Hill Air Force Base remains a safe, livable community.

The U.S. Air Force men's and women's volleyball team took the gold medals in the floor games at the 2010 Armed Forces Volleyball Championship held at Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, N.C., May 3-11.

"It feels good to say that we are the champions of the Armed Forces tournament," said the Air Force team's head coach Maj. John Napier, from Northern Arizona University's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. "There's no award higher than the gold medal so putting it around our necks after the tournament was a pretty special moment."

The Hill Rod and Gun Club hosted a Sporting Clays Shoot event May 1 in conjunction with a four-day circuit shoot sponsored by Browning, Sportsman's Warehouse and other Utah state gun clubs.

"This is the first time the Hill Rod and Gun Club has held a sporting clay event, and it's been about four years since the club has seen this many people turn out at a shootout event," said Lt. Col. Andrew Chudy, 419th Fighter Wing Deputy Operations Group commander and vice president of the Hill Rod and Gun Club.

Members of Team Hill and the local Jewish community convened at the Hill Air Force Base Chapel Annex April 14 to memorialize the millions of Holocaust victims and pay tribute to the U.S. and Allied soldiers who helped defeat Nazi Germany and liberate the Holocaust survivors more than 65 years ago.

The Health and Wellness Center finished its second Walking for Wellness 10-week program with a 10K walk on base April 10. The 10K walk was the program's culminating event to help its 47 members set and achieve a significant fitness goal.

Kristy Carson and Jessie Gold were the two student interns with the HAWC who revived the Walking for Wellness program this year in part to complete a project for their bachelor's degree in Health Promotion at Weber State University.

729th ACS 'Angry Warriors' happily return to home base

Approximately 170 members of the 729th Air Control Squadron returned to Hill Air Force Base on March 24 from the longest recent deployment the squadron has undergone. Of the seven Air Expeditionary Force rotations the 729th ACS has provided in Iraq since 2003, its last six and a half month deployment has been the longest.

"Usually the deployments are around four months long," said Liz Coppersmith, wife of 729th ACS Commander Lt. Col. Tom Coppersmith.

Sometimes fitness routines can be just that -- routine.

The 75th Force Support Squadron Warrior Health and Fitness Center's Fitness Specialist, Adam Klemm, is determined to change that.

"My Fit to Fight challenges are designed to bring people out of their comfort zone," Klemm said of the Thursday evening fitness series he's hosted since September 2009.

"Everyone comes to the fitness center and usually sticks to their routines and hides behind their strengths, but my challenges encompass a wide swath of fitness areas," said Klemm.