First 104th Fighter Wing pilot selected to attend F-35 training, propel unit mission forward during conversion

Photo By Jerry Hewitt | Major Timothy 'Shawshank' Boersig, 131st Fighter Squadron pilot, poses for a photo in front of an F-15 Eagle, April 23, 2024, at Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts. Boersig was recently selected to become the first 104th Fighter Wing pilot to receive F-35 training in advance of the unit's future conversion to the F-35 aircraft.  

WESTFIELD, MA, UNITED STATES

04.23.2024

Story by Jerry Hewitt 

104th Fighter Wing

BARNES AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Massachusetts – Maj. Timothy ‘Shawshank’ Boersig, 131st Fighter Squadron pilot, was recently selected as the first 104th Fighter Wing pilot to receive F-35A Lighting II training at Eglin Air Force Base in Okaloosa County, Florida, to lead the Wing’s conversion from the F-15 Eagle to the F-35.

While at Eglin AFB, Boersig will spend approximately four months learning to fly the F-35, followed by an additional eight months of training to become an F-35 instructor pilot. As an instructor, Boersig will then use his knowledge and expertise to train pilots at the 104th Fighter Wing to ensure the Wing remains mission ready during the F-35 conversion process.

“When we get the new jets here on the ramp, leadership will have enough instructors here to push the rest of the pilots at Barnes through their upgrades,” said Boersig. “I can bring that F-35 instructor knowledge back here so we can start flying right away.”

Boersig expressed his gratitude for becoming the first pilot at Barnes Air National Guard Base to receive F-35 training through sharing his deep roots in the Westfield area.

“I’m genuinely humbled and really appreciate the leadership here allowing me to go down this path,” said Boersig. “I grew up in Westfield. I had friends whose dads flew the A-10 Warthogs here at Barnes, and after getting to talk to them about what it’s like to be a fighter pilot, I knew right away that’s what I wanted to do.”

Boersig began his Air Force career as an active-duty flight test engineer working on the F-16 for about three years before being selected to fly the A-10 Warthog at Fort Wayne, Indiana. A few years after that, Boersig finally saw an opportunity to come back to Westfield.

“When Fort Wayne was losing the A-10’s and swapping to the F-16, I knew that was a perfect opportunity to look back here to Barnes, and I was hired on to fly the F-15 for the last year and a half,” said Boersig. “Now, with this opportunity to go to the F-35, it’s just a truly awesome experience, and now I can add a third fighter aircraft to my flying career. It’s very cool to have flown the past three aircraft that we’re going to have at Barnes.”

Boersig stated his time flying the A-10 provides him with an advantage on learning the F-35 due to already having experience with air-to-ground mission capabilities such as working with joint terminal air controllers and dropping bombs.

“I’m really looking forward to combining my air-to-ground mentality from my A-10 days with my time flying the F-15, an air-to-air superior fighter, into this multi-role fighter of the F-35,” said Boersig. “I hope to bring that knowledge back here to pilots that maybe have not employed air-to-ground much, and just take my knowledge and help through that transition.”

Lt. Col. Matthew ‘Beast’ Tanis, 131st Fighter Squadron pilot, further emphasized how Boersig’s F-35 training will help the Wing’s transition to the next generation aircraft.

“Maj. Boersig’s capability, attitude, and work ethic are going to propel him to become not just the first qualified F-35 Barnestormer, but also a tactical expert in the exciting new front-line fighter,” said Tanis. “We are excited to have him be our ambassador, and for him to eventually come back and be one of the foundational leaders to guide our squadron into this future platform.”

The 104th anticipates getting their first F-35 aircraft in the fall of 2025. The conversion to the F-35 will enable Barnes Air National Guard Base to perform additional missions that the F-15 could not perform and maintain the 104th as a premier Fighter Wing.

“The F-35 is the best aircraft we have right now and the future of the Air Force,” said Boersig. “I’m super pumped that Barnes gets to be the tip of the spear flying that 5th generation fighter.”

• Date Taken: 04.23.2024
• Date Posted: 04.27.2024 04:52
• Story ID: 469258
• Location: WESTFIELD, MA, US