An F-35A Lightning II, assigned to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, takes off. (U.S. Air Force photo by Anthony Pham)

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Wing welcomes alumni, reflects on Reserve history

  • Published
  • By Bryan Magañs
  • 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Last week, the 419th Fighter Wing welcomed back two of its alumni for a tour of Utah's only Air Force Reserve unit. Returning to their old stomping grounds were retired Col. Jonathan Gardener, former commander, and retired Chief Master Sgt. Dale Hansen, his then-senior enlisted advisor.

Gardner served as commander of the 508th Tactical Fighter Group from 1979 to 1983, during which time the group was re-designated the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing. He piloted the F-105 Thunderchief in the aircraft's final flying days, just before the "Thud" was replaced by the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Hansen was the wing's first senior enlisted advisor, better known today as command chief, representing more than 1,000 enlisted reservists at Hill.

"It's important that we maintain our historical ties and remember where we came from," said 419th FW commander Col. Keith Knudson.

After a tour of the flightline and 419th facilities, old and new, Knudson took the visitors to the wing's heritage park, where an F-105 and an F-16 static stand side by side - two generations of aircraft representing one history.

The leaders discussed how the Air Force Reserve has changed in 30 years, along with one important constant: what Gardner calls the wing's "fantastic people."

"We've still got some amazing people doing some amazing things," Knudson said. "Our Air Force Reservists are being called upon like never before to support operations around the world."

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