USAForce to base F-35 squadrons in Utah, Vermont

The Air Force will base the first operational F-35As at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and the first National Guard unit at Burlington International Airport, Vt.
The announcement ends about four years of study and deliberation, including multiple environmental impact studies looking at the long-term impact of basing the next generation fighters and both public support and opposition to the plans in Vermont.
Hill will receive the first operational F-35As, and was selected because of its location near training ranges and because the base is home to the F-35 depot.
Hill is home to the active-duty 388th Fighter Wing and the reserve 419th Fighter Wing, and will be flown by both components.
Construction on the base will start immediately, with F-35s arriving beginning in 2015. The base will receive 72 F-35As, which will replace 48 F-16s already assigned to Hill.
Vermont is expected to receive 18 F-35As beginning in 2020.
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