Hilltop Times – Hill Air Force Base Weekly Newspaper Since 1948

On April 10, 1977, the Air Force announced the 388th Fighter Wing as the first operational unit to be equipped with the new F-16 fighter jet. Twenty-five years later, the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings worked collaboratively to preserve the combat heritage of Hill AFB by putting a 388th Fighter Wing flag-ship proudly on display at the Airmen memorial park.

Five months after having met Lana, Connie Delamater never imagined her heart would feel so full. It's hard for her to believe that in as little as eleven months she'll prepare to say, "Goodbye."

"It's kind of like waving as your kids go off to college, but it's puppy college," she said. "And it's in Oceanside California."

Even though saying, "Goodbye," will be difficult, "The joyful part of this, is that hopefully Lana is destined to become a service dog or a skilled companion dog," Delamater said, "It's going to be tough giving her up."

In 1989 Mike Domitrz got the news of his sister's rape. For two years, he struggled to deal with the pain, rage and sadness that followed. As Domitrz realized the enormous impact this tragedy had on his family and friends, he began to see the need in society for a healthier dating approach and better understanding of how "consent" is obtained in intimacy. He created educational products and a classroom curriculum, including the "Can I Kiss You?" seminar where he presents keys to effective bystander intervention to eliminate potential sexual assaults.

The Airman and Family Readiness Center (A&FRC) is sponsoring a photo contest in recognition of Military Spouse Appreciation Day on May 11. The theme is "A day in the life of a military spouse."

Spouses from all branches of service can participate by submitting a contest entry form and a digital photo depicting any aspect of their life as a military spouse. Contestants must include the completed entry form with their photo submission. Entry forms are available at the A&FRC office in Building 150 or can be requested via email at stephanie.green@hil.af.mil.

Play to win Saturday, April 28 at The Landing (Club Hill) with the game of chess -- which can be a lot like life. Although some people make very aggressive chess players, and others are more defensive, the more players you have in a tournament, the more interesting play can become.

Hank Beuning is excited about the prospects of this year's Hill AFB Chess Championship Tournament and is reaching out to other lovers of the game to invite their participation.

The Easter bunny will be hopping at Hill at two separate events.

The Youth Center will be hosting its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 7 from 10 a.m. until all the eggs are gone during the 11 o'clock hour. The Easter Bunny will be joining the kids on the baseball diamonds east of Warrior Fitness Center. He will hide candy, toys and some special tickets in the 25,000 eggs that will be hidden. The tickets can be redeemed for prizes at the prize table.

Do you want to be in the spotlight? Hill Idol is back and stronger than ever. For the third year running, The Landing (formerly known as Club Hill) is hosting the Hill Idol Contest every Friday night in April, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Landing will host The Hill Idol competition again on April 13, 20 and 27 and the final will take place on May 4 when the first place winner will walk away with $250, second place $50, and third place $25.

April marks this nation's "Month of the Military Child," an opportunity to reflect on youth impacted by deployment. As part of the 4-H Youth Development program of Utah State University, Utah Operation: Military Kids (OMK) is promoting their second annual "Purple Up! For Military Kids."

OMK would like to encourage everyone in the state of Utah to celebrate these young heroes by wearing purple on Friday, April 13. This is meant to show appreciation for military children who have sacrificed a parent through deployment.

Members of Team Hill's Thrift Shop and the Golden Spike Dog Obedience Club traveled to the 75th Security Forces Military Working Dog's kennel on base recently to see their donations in action.

Community was key at Saturday's Deployed Spouses Meet and Greet that 75th Air Base Wing Key Spouses put on.

The event served as a community builder for Team Hill's spouses as they came to meet not only other spouses dealing with deployments of their loved one, but also the bases' leadership. Colonels, first shirts and chiefs alike all came to the Airman and Family Readiness Center to rub elbows with the spouses and share a meal together.