Hill begins new partnership with local community

  • Published
  • By Richard Essary
  • 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  After more than 7 months of planning, base and local officials signed the first of what could become a series of community agreements aimed at creating efficiencies and cost-savings through mutually supportive partnerships.

Hill is one of more than a dozen agencies across the Air Force participating in an inaugural program -- the Air Force Community Partnership Initiative -- to explore cost-saving opportunities through partnerships and shared services with local communities, government agencies and the private sector.

A number of base and community partnerships at various levels of maturity are under consideration. The first partnership agreement involving the base library was signed by Hill AFB and local officials June 6.

This library agreement implements a cooperative partnership between Hill Air Force Base and a number of Utah's higher education institutions including Westminster College, Emporia College, Weber State University and Salt Lake Community College.

Historically, Hill Air Force Base has enjoyed the benefits of strong community partnership and support," said Col. Kathryn Kolbe, 75th Air Base Wing commander. "These agreements simply reinforce our enduring close community ties and provide base and community 'win-win' benefits that we might have otherwise missed."

"What a great thing that we can work together to provide these services that were in danger of being lost," said Kolbe at the signing.

The colonel also noted that some may be expanded. For example, plans to add adult literacy programs were now going to be possible.

"Weber State is grateful for these opportunities now being cultivated for our students," said Darcy Gregg, WSU representative. "We need to get them out to experience the real world, and we are very, very grateful for the opportunity."

"As is Salt Lake Community College," said Wendy Potter, "to accord the opportunities to our students who will as well be offered the chance to see how impactful and how well our government works and to have this opportunity. It is very exciting."

The agreement supports a newly formed initiative called the Promoting Opportunity for Work Experience Research, or POWER, program. As part of the program, student interns from participating schools who are pursuing degrees in education or library sciences will be given the opportunity to work in the base's library providing services and programs to support the educational needs of the base populace.

Interns who participate in the program will gain academic practicum credit for their degree programs and also gain practical job training and experience that will benefit their future career paths.

"This is just the beginning of a very long road," said Maj. Kris Long, Director of Operations, 75th Operations Support Squadron, as he talked about the prospect of more such agreements. "In some cases these agreements will be expanded to take advantage of new opportunities, while others may eventually be limited by other new developments or influences. The bottom line is we are at the beginning of something with great potential, with years of work still to be done before we gain the full benefit." He noted that progress to this point would not have been possible without the steadfast support of the communities and their putting political will behind the effort.

Other bases participating in the Air Force Community Partnership Initiative include: Altus AFB, Okla.; Beale AFB, Calif.; Buckley AFB, Colo.; Ellsworth AFB, S.D.; Fairchild AFB, Wash.; Joint Base Andrews, Md.; Maxwell AFB, Ala.; Moody AFB, Ga.; Nellis AFB, Nev.; Patrick AFB, Fla.; Peterson AFB, Colo.; Robins AFB, Ga.; Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.; Sheppard AFB, Texas; and Tinker AFB, Okla.