Politics & Government

Drone Protesters to Say 'No' Again

Peace and anti-war groups are staging a second protest at the Horsham Air Guard Station to oppose the impending drone command center.

The anti-drone message will continue in Horsham as a half dozen area peace and anti-war groups converge at the future home of Montgomery County’s drone command center. 

Organized by Robert M. Smith, long-time staff organizer of the Brandywine Peace Community, the two-hour protest at the Horsham Air Guard Station is a continuation of sorts of last month’s protest.

“Our protest and opposition is a voice of democracy, like other nonviolent movements for justice, peace, and democracy before it, helping hopefully to spur a public debate,” Smith told Patch. “We will continue to say no, believing in the power of nonviolence and democracy.”

Find out what's happening in Lower Gwynedd-Ambler-Whitpainwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The federal government announced in March that a drone command center would be built at the Horsham Air Guard Station, bringing with it 250 jobs and the ability for pilots in Horsham to remotely fly aircraft overseas.

The planes, MQ-9 Reapers, would be similar to the A-10s that the 111th Fighter Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard had flown before, according to Wing Commander Col. Howard “Chip” Eissler.

Find out what's happening in Lower Gwynedd-Ambler-Whitpainwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The mission, Eissler said in March, would get underway in October.

Unless, that is, Smith and other groups are successful in derailing it.

The federal government’s announcement was “absent of any hearing on the drone war command center, its role in the continuing drone war, the question of its constitutionality, the potential impact on the surrounding area and region,” Smith said.

“No hearing,” he said. “None. That is hardly democracy. We will not allow them the final word.” 

Master Sgt. Christopher Botzum, a spokesman for the 111th Fighter Wing, told Patch that the military is aware of the upcoming protest and said security will be at the ready should the protest get out of hand.

“The traditional and full-time guardsmen that are here, they’re the ones that are wearing the uniforms to protect the rights of these people to protest,” Botzum said. “They have that right and we’re here to defend their right to be able to do that.”

Botzum said his unit has been in contact with Drone Free Horsham, as well as the Brandywine Peace Community

“We’re trying to be open and honest and I think that that’s important that we engage them,” Botzum said. “We need to continue to have a working relationship.”

Building the drone command center is still on track to begin on Oct. 1, when federal funding is first available, according to Botzum. Officials have not provided a date for when the center is expected to be complete.

There’s been no discussion about other missions in place of the drone center, he said.

“Our jobs are defined to us by the department of defense,” Botzum said.

Drone opponents contend that this type of warfare is responsible for the deaths of civilians thousands of miles away.

Military officials have said that drones are aimed at saving lives of American troops. Eissler has said that drone missions, in Afghanistan for instance, require as few as 10 people to be overseas as compared to the traditional deployment of 150 to 200 soldiers.

“That’s what it’s all about for me, protecting my troops and trying to gain the intelligence,” Botzum said, adding that a drone can stay in the air for 15 hours, as compared to traditional flying missions which are generally two or three hours long. “The end goal certainly is to protect our way of life. It’s another tool.”

What do you think? Do you view the drone command center as a way to protect lives – or to take them? Tell us in the comments. 

If you go

Saturday's drone command center protest is set for noon to 2 p.m. at the Horsham Air Guard Station, Route 611 and County Line Road in Horsham Township. The protest will include music, the reading of the names of U.S. drone strike victims in Pakistan and their stories, bell-tolling, chanting, and a 10-foot- long drone replica near the Horsham Air Guard Station identification logo.    

Monthly protests will continue through September on the last Saturday of the month from noon to 2 p.m. at the corner of Route 611/Easton and County Line roads. 

(This story was written and reported by Theresa Katalinas.)


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here