ANG Readiness Center commander pays a visit to Horsham AGS

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond
  • 111th Attack Wing Public Affairs
HORSHAM AIR GUARD STATION, Pa. --  Brig. Gen. Michael R. Taheri, the Commander of the Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, met with and thanked members of the 111th Attack Wing here March 12.

Col. Howard L. Eissler, the 111th ATKW commander, guided the Air Directorate Staff leader and his support personnel on a base tour, starting at the 270th Engineering Installation Squadron and finishing at the 111th Operations Group.

"The most impressive thing to me is the diversity of talent and the kinds of experiences you have here," said Taheri. "That brings a lot of the intangibles, which postures the unit for success."

The 111th ATKW's Command Chief Master Sgt. Paul Frisco said that the visit demonstrated the general's authentic interest in the welfare of Air National Guard members. He also stated that it offered the wing an opportunity to discuss areas of development, as well as showcase the wing's accomplishments.

Most of Taheri's visit was spent talking with the Guardsmen here and recognizing their service by presenting coins to exceptional members.

"It's great to be recognized by leadership and to actually be asked how you started in the military and what your goals are," said Tech. Sgt. Danielle Heidrick, a newly--appointed first sergeant in the Wing. "I was very impressed by the fact that he took the time to talk with each [member] to find out where they had come from, where they had been and what their goals are for the future.

"I think it made all the troops feel that they're an integral part of the Air National Guard - made them feel that they matter."

The Guardsmen who received coins from Taheri felt that the time he spent talking with them was remarkable.

"At first I was nervous, since I never talked with a general before," said Staff Sgt. Michele Hreso, of the 270th EIS electronics shop. "But he was so personable and interested in what I was saying that I totally forgot I was surrounded by all the senior leadership. It was just like we were having a nice conversation - it was great."

While Taheri engaged in hands-on events that showcased the missions conducted here, Eissler described the past, present and future of the Philadelphia area's ANG wing.

He experienced a day in the life of a RED HORSE member by operating an excavator, witnessed a training display at the 270th EIS and finished the day inspecting the control station for the MQ-9 Reaper--the wing's remotely-piloted aircraft system.

"I've gone to a lot of units that have very traditional platform," said Taheri. "This unit is coming from what was a traditional platform; went into a period of uncertainty; then was holding on and now is moving into the leading edge of what is the future of the Air Force. I'm interested in seeing continued accomplishment coming from this wing."