PHOTO COURTESY OF HORSHAM LAND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
The U.S. Air Force recently announced that the 111th Fighter Wing located at the Horsham Air Guard Station on Route 611 would be operating a ground control station for remotely piloted aircrafts.
By Megan Badger
Wire Managing Editor
Members of the Air National Guard in Horsham are excited to begin their newest mission.
In March, the U.S. Air Force announced that the 111th Fighter Wing, located at the Horsham Air Guard Station on Route 611, would be operating a new ground control station for remotely piloted aircrafts, or drones, that are tasked with destroying enemies around the world.
The new program will create an additional 250 jobs at the base.
While, for many community members, it may seem like a dangerous mission will be taking place in their backyard, the aircrafts will never actually come near Horsham. A pilot and sensor operator will control the MQ-9 Reaper aircraft remotely from the station as it flies through the air in other parts of the world.
The 111th Fighter Wing is no stranger to this type of mission. Up until 2010, pilots operated a similar aircraft, the A-10 Thunderbolt, from the neighboring Naval Air Station. While NAS-JRB Willow Grove closed its doors last year, the 111th Fighter Wing remains in operation at what is now known as the Horsham Air Guard Station.
“The pilots I have worked with, and currently work with, many are residual from the A-10 days. The mission from that is almost a cut and paste from this mission,” explained Master Sgt. Chris Botzum, a 30-year veteran aircraft mechanic and public affairs representative for the wing.
“We were doing virtually the same job with the A-10 mission. We had the A-10 Thunderbolts — or “tank killers” — at Willow Grove NAS from 1988 through 2010. We had targeting pods that utilized much of the same technology for going out and seeking bad guys, identifying targets, and employing precision-guided weapons against them.”
Botzum said he is aware of the fears of community members, and the possibility that those fears may be amplified due to this mission. To make safety a priority, the Air Guard Station last October implemented a program called Air Force Eagle Eyes to put its neighbors at ease.
“The base’s anti-terrorism officer and other personnel go to community vendors and talk to a large number of shops, restaurants, and all the businesses in the area and discuss with them about awareness,” Botzum explained. “It’s about community awareness, about being vigilant about suspicious things and relaying that information back to us.”
Botzum said Eagle Eyes is not specific to this mission, but rather is a universal Air Force program instituted for safety purposes. The Horsham program is led by Chief Master Sgt. Paul Frisco, the base’s anti-terrorism officer.
“We want to remind community members that we’re a part of the community and the community is part of us,” he said. “It takes all of us to make a secure environment.”
With this new mission set to begin in October, 250 jobs — 75 of which are full time — have been created in Horsham.
“Within the National Guard we’re kind of a blend between military and civilian,” Botzum explained. “Case in point, to even become eligible for hiring you would first have to join the wing as a military member.”
The 111th Fighter Wing is looking to hire remotely operated aircraft pilots, physicians, physician’s assistants, engineers, security personnel and administrative support, among others. Air Force recruiters have been getting 25 to 30 calls each day from people who are interested in these positions, Botzum said.
For more information about available positions with the 111th Fighter Wing, call 1–800–997–2264 or visit www.goang.com.
