Hill Air Force Base and Utah's Defense Community

As Utah’s only representative on the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Blake Moore has spent his first year in office collaborating with Hill Air Force Base, Department of Defense leadership, small businesses, and military families to ensure the need of Utah’s defense community are represented in Washington. Utah’s defense industry has doubled since 2015 according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, contributing over $19 billion to the state’s GDP and supporting 211,000 jobs with an average salary of $85,377. Congressman Moore’s position on the Armed Services Committee is key to generating economic growth and job opportunities in Northern Utah.

Members of the Armed Services Committee not only perform constitutionally mandated oversight and authorize programs and funding for the Department of Defense, but they are also charged with developing and implementing defense policy. Often considered the most bipartisan committee in Washington, only members of the Armed Services Committee participate in shaping the National Defense Authorization Act before it reaches the House Floor.

Congressman Moore fought to be one of the few freshmen members selected to sit on this committee to best serve Utah. Despite being a freshman member in the minority, the committee passed the vast majority of his over 30 submissions for the defense authorization cycle for Fiscal Year 2022. In addition, 85% of the Congressman’s amendments offered at the full committee markup were incorporated into the defense bill. These provisions strengthen Utah’s defense community and include:

Full Funding of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent: Preserves the ability to maintain a safe and effective nuclear deterrent, bringing 4,000 new jobs and six new buildings to Hill Air Force Base.
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program: Ensures that the F-35 program at Hill continues on schedule and that readiness standards are consistent with those of other defense acquisition programs.
Improvements in Veteran Hiring: Expands repeal of the 180-day waiting period for retired military members to now include positions at the Utah Test and Training Range and similar DOD facilities.
Military Spouse Licensing Reciprocity: Establishes a uniform process to allow professional licenses/certifications of military spouses to remain in good standing when relocating.
Increased Allowance at Remote Worksites: Proposes a new remote site pay allowance for Dugway Proving Ground employees, which has remained unchanged since 1971 at $10 per day.
Defense Community Support Authority: Expands opportunities for communities to assist with the construction and operation of base infrastructure, often at cheaper cost on an accelerate timeline.
Depot Facilities Modernization: Includes$900 million for depot modernization, including at Hill, reversing the Biden Administration’s partisan and harmful cuts.

Before even being sworn into office, Congressman Moore took an immersive tour to understand Hill AFB and its diverse capabilities and mission set. This included visits with the 75^th Air Base Wing, Ogden Air Logistics Complex, Landing Gear Center of Excellence, the 649^th Munitions Squadron, and the 388^th and 419^th Fighter Wings. Since January, Congressman Moore has joined the Acting Secretary of the Air Force at Hill for extensive briefings on the Data Center, base housing challenges, and the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Program. He has maintained his rigorous study of Utah’s diverse defense capabilities by visiting the Utah Test and Training Range, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Falcon Hill Enhanced Use Lease project, and the Air Force’s first fully operational F-35 squadrons to deploy overseas. He has supported military families and delivered on constituent casework.