Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. and his wife, Sharene, visited Hill Air Force Base March 2.
During his first visit to Hill AFB as CSAF, he met with Airmen and immersed himself with Hill AFB's Ground Based Strategic Deterrent and F-35 Lightning II mission sets.
"Airmen are our most valuable resource, and the Airmen and their families at Hill (AFB) are no exception," Brown said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to hear from really talented Airmen, who are working hard on important areas of our national defense here like the F-35 and GBSD."
A key stop on his visit was the GBSD Systems Directorate, which is responsible for modernizing and replacing Minuteman III flight systems, weapon system command and control, and launch systems, including missile silos, control centers and other ground infrastructure.
"Our nuclear weapons are a critical aspect of the strategic deterrence that safeguards our nation, and our allies and partners everyday" Brown said. "Modernization is a must to ensure that safety, security and reliability don't erode and put our strategic deterrence at risk."
In addition, Brown visited the 75th Air Base Wing, Ogden Air Logistics Complex, 388th Fighter Wing, Reserve 419th Fighter Wing and the Northrop Grumman Kemp Facility.
He was initially scheduled to visit Hill AFB for the first time last November, but the trip was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
While the general met with leaders, Sharene had the chance to discuss quality-of-life issues with Hill AFB's junior Airmen and spouses. She also visited with family readiness and other helping agencies to preview some of the resiliency programs available to Airmen, including the base's all-abilities playground, the first one in the Department of Defense.
"This was a fantastic opportunity to host Gen. and Mrs. Brown in person to show them the amazing work being done by our Airmen across Team Hill," said Col. Jenise Carroll, 75th Air Base Wing commander. "We look forward to their next visit so they can see how rapidly Hill is growing."
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. receives a briefing on the F-35A Lightning II during a visit to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, March 2, 2021. Brown met with Airmen from the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings. As the Air Force's first combat-coded F-35 wings, Airmen briefed Brown on the F-35's capabilities, training, maintenance and sustainment requirements. (U.S. Air Force photo by R. Nial Bradshaw)
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. speaks with Jarie Mickelson, GBSD deputy system program manager, before presenting her with a coin during a visit to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, March 2, 2021. During his first visit to Hill AFB as Air Force Chief of Staff, the general took time to connect with Airmen and meet with leaders from the 75th Air Base Wing, Ogden Air Logistics Complex, 388th Fighter Wing, Reserve 419th Fighter Wing, and Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent Systems Directorate. (U.S. Air Force photo by R. Nial Bradshaw)
