by Michael Rigert
Staff Writer

Though a large chunk of Utah’s portion of a recently approved Defense spending bill went to Hill Air Force Base — which Congressional representatives fear may appear on the 2005 Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) list — Tooele Army Depot also snagged $5 million in funding.

The U.S. Senate gave final approval July 22 to the Department of Defense bill. It was also passed by the House of Representatives and now awaits the review and signature of the president.

Sen. Bob Bennett, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee responsible for the funding measure, said “the continued commitment by the Congress and the administration to invest in Hill Air Force Base and other state facilities shows how important they are to our nation’s military operations. I anticipate this kind of federal support to continue.”

Lt. Col. Karol Ripley, commander of Tooele Army Depot, said the $5 million in funding the depot received in the bill will be used to fabricate and install a super-critical water oxidation system to safely dispose of a large quantity of obsolete pilot ejection devices. Approximately 4,500 tons of the explosive cartridge-actuated devices (CADs) and propellant-actuated devices (PADs) are currently stored at the depot.

“It will help us demil materiel in an environmentally friendly manner and free up critical storage space,” she said. “It’s a super opportunity for us.”

Ripley said Congress’ approval of the proposed $5 million demilitarization project is “the culmination of three years worth of effort.”

The depot currently has a prototype of the demil device which utilizes a “hydrolysis” process to safely separate and neutralize the various components of the pilot ejection seat devices.

“This gives us the entire system and dovetails with the hydrolysis system,” Ripley said.
Sen. Orrin Hatch was also a key figure in helping secure the funding for programs at facilities in Utah.

“This funding ensures that Utah will continue to play a vital role in our nation’s military,” he said. “Supporting our bases — and especially Hill Air Force Base — will continue to be our number-one priority.”

Additional funding in the Defense Department bill went to the following programs:
Hill Air Force Base

• $4.6 million — Aging Landing Gear Life Extension (ALGLE)
As the Air Force continues to face challenges related to aging aircraft, maintenance and reliability of the aircraft landing gear system has been identified as one of the highest priorities. Hill is responsible for 70 percent of the DoD landing gear maintenance work. This funding will provide for continuation of the program.
• $4.9 million — Science and Engineering Lab Data Integration (SELDI)
A program at Hill, SELDI supports all intercontinental ballistic missiles and most aircraft. SELDI provides a maintenance and logistics information management tool that improves missile and aircraft readiness and safety. Through SELDI, personnel can track lab results relating to maintenance and overhaul operations, as well as equipment failures. These results provide for proactive aircraft inspection and maintenance.
• $3.9 million — Avionics Intermediate Shop Station (AIS)
F-16 avionics are currently repaired at Hill using 66 AISs. These stations are 20 years old, and increasingly more costly to maintain. A new AIS with state-of-the-art technology has been developed, reducing the time needed to evaluate the F-16 equipment by 62 percent. These funds will be used to purchase the new equipment, Rack-Mounted Improved AIS, R-AIS. Expedited evaluation of the aircraft will help maintain the critical on-time delivery rates of the aircraft so efficiently performed at Hill.
• $3.5 million — A-10 Thunderbolt Service Life Extension Program
The depot maintenance for the A-10 aircraft is performed at Hill. When first developed in the 1970s, the A-10 was expected to accrue only 6,000 flight hours before its retirement. As a result of valuable performance in both Gulf Wars and Afghanistan, the Air Force has extended the service of the aircraft through 2028, which will require it to perform 16,000 flight hours. Funds for this program will provide for efficient, appropriate extension of aircraft’s service life and related equipment upgrades.
Utah National Guard
• $8.2 million — Senior Scout
Funds will be used to upgrade and improve the intelligence gathering system utilized by the Utah National Guard.

e-mail: mrigert@tooeletranscript.com