EGLIN AFB TO RECEIVE MORE FOLKS (NOT ASSOCIATED WITH BRAC)

They keep coming. In a recent briefing with the Eglin Base Commander, he noted Eglin is in one of the best position to provide cost effectiveness in the delivery of military missions in the future and could see additional growth in the area, which would save the government money. With all of the talk of reducing the federal budget and the strategic location of Eglin, it stands to reason more consolidation at Eglin is in the future. P.S. - I will put by money on Duke Field (Adjacent to Crestview) for the unit. Keep in mind, Dr. Hsu, one of the leaders in Drone Technology, just opened a Aerospace Technology Park at the Crestview Airport.

Eglin to get new reserve squadron
The unit to work with drone aircraft
By MONA MOORE
Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4443 mmoore@nwfdailynews.com  

Air Force officials have announced that Eglin Air Force Base will be the home of an Air Force Reserve Command MQ-1 Remote Split-Operations squadron. Officials from the Air Combat Command started evaluating bases last year and determined that Eglin was the only one with scores high enough to indicate the squadron would be a good fit. The evaluation considered factors such as mission requirements, communications infrastructure, reserve component recruiting, facilities, support capacity, timing and cost. “The selection of this candidate is the result of a deliberate, measured and transparent process,” Kathleen Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary for installations, said in a news release from the Air Force. “The Air Force looks forward to working with the communities surrounding this location to ensure all concerns are addressed.” The Air Force Reserve Command, which is based at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, will send a team late this month to evaluate six possible locations at Eglin, said Maj. Christina Hoggatt, spokeswoman for the command. The list includes Hurlburt Field and Duke Field. The command will submit results of the evaluation to the Air Force secretary and Air Force chief of staff. The preferred alternative will be announced sometime this summer. The squadron then will move from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., to Eglin. It will have 140 personnel and associated equipment. The local economic impact depends on how it is staffed and whether members will choose to move to the area. Hoggart said reserve units can be manned in several ways. In addition to having reservists who work one weekend a month, others are temporarily assigned to active duty units or work full time. “Reservists can work 40 hours,” she said. The squadron’s equipment will not include any of the remotely-piloted MQ-1 aircraft. The “M” means the aircraft has multiple roles; “Q” means it is unmanned; and “1” means that the aircraft is the first of the series of remotely piloted aircraft systems. The Air Force has 130 of the $20-million-dollar MQ-1 Predators with active forces and another eight assigned to the Air National Guard. Each unmanned aircraft is operated by two airmen: a (remote) pilot and a sensor operator. The new squadron at Eglin will all be sensor operators who run ground control systems. The Air Force Reserve Command currently operates the 78th Reconnaissance Squadron at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. Creech also is the home of the first MQ-1 training unit (another will soon operate out of Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.) and two active-duty operational s q u a d r o n s . T h e A i r National Guard operates four squadrons.