Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers
Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) units are the United States Air Force's equivalent of the U.S. Marine Corps combat engineers and U.S. Navy Seabees.[1]
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[edit] About
In the Vietnam War, Air Force PRIME BEEF teams filled a need for short term construction capabilities. However, the Air Force needed a stable and longer term heavy repair capability. The response was to organize two 400 man (12 officers and 388 airmen) Heavy Repair Squadrons.[2]Red Horse units activated in 1966 during the Vietnam War when Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara asked the Air Force to develop its own combat construction team.[3]
RED HORSE squadrons provide the U.S. Air Force with a highly mobile civil engineering response force to support contingency and special operations worldwide. Units are self-sufficient, 404-person mobile squadrons capable of rapid response and independent operations in remote, high-threat environments worldwide. They provide heavy repair capability and construction support when requirements exceed normal base civil engineer capabilities and where U.S. Army engineer support is not readily available.
RED HORSE units possess weapons, vehicles/equipment and vehicle maintenance, food service, emergency management, contracting, supply and medical equipment and personnel.
RED HORSE's major wartime responsibility is to provide a highly mobile, rapidly deployable, civil engineering response force that is self-sufficient to perform heavy damage repair required for recovery of critical Air Force facilities and utility systems, and aircraft launch and recovery. In addition, it accomplishes engineer support for beddown of weapon systems required to initiate and sustain operations in an austere bare base environment, including remote hostile locations, or locations in a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives (CBRNE) prone environment.
The primary RED HORSE tasking in peacetime is to train for contingency and wartime operations. It participates regularly in Joint Chiefs of Staff and major command exercises, military operations other than war, and civic action programs. RED HORSE performs training projects that assist base construction efforts while, at the same time, honing wartime skills. Air Force RED HORSE units possess special capabilities, such as water-well drilling, explosive demolition, aircraft arresting system installation, quarry operations, concrete mobile operations, material testing, expedient facility erection, and concrete and asphalt paving.
To support the "Open the Airbase" mission, RED HORSE added an "airborne" capability in 2005. With this capability, RED HORSE can rapidly deliver small specialized teams and equipment packages by airdrop or air insertion to conduct expedient airfield repairs.[4]
[edit] Units
There are four active-duty, five Air Force Reserve Command, and five Air National Guard RED HORSE squadrons, culminating ten RED HORSE Squadron equivalents:
- The 819th RED HORSE at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana
- The 820th RED HORSE at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
- The 554th RED HORSE at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam
- The 823d RED HORSE at Hurlburt Field, Florida
The 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group is in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility.[5]
Air Force Reserve: *556th RED HORSE Squadron, Hurlburt Field FL (classic association with 823 RHS) *555th RED HORSE Squadron, Nellis AFB NV (classic association with 820 RHS) *307th RED HORSE Squadron, Barksdale AFB LA (associate unit to the 554 RHS) *560th RED HORSE Squadron, Charleston AFB SC (active association with 437 CES) *567th RED HORSE Squadron, Seymour-Johnson AFB NC (active association with 4 CES)
Air National Guard: *200th RED HORSE Squadron, Port Clinton OH *200th RED HORSE Squadron, (Detachment) Mansfield OH *201st RED HORSE Squadron, Fort Indiantown Gap PA *201st RED HORSE Squadron, (Detachment) Willow Grove PA *202nd RED HORSE Squadron, Camp Blanding FL (combines with the 203 RHF to form a full squadron) *203rd RED HORSE Flight, Camp Pendleton VA (combines with the 202 RHS to form a full squadron) *219th RED HORSE Squadron, Malmstrom AFB MT (associate unit to the 819 RHS) *254th RED HORSE Squadron, Andersen AB Guam (associate unit to the 554 RHS)
The Air National Guard squadrons are split units with separate commanders. When mobilized (excluding the 219th and 254th), these units come together as one squadron.[6]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Factsheets : RED HORSE history". Afcesa.af.mil. http://www.afcesa.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=8760. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- ^ http://www.redhorsehistory.com/history.php?article=vietnam
- ^ http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforce/a/airbornerh.htm
- ^ http://www.afcesa.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=16723
- ^ This story was written by Staff Sgt. Stacia Zachary. "Feature - Dirt Boyz: Red Horse Airmen build base up amid desert conditions". Centaf.af.mil. http://www.centaf.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123168016. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- ^ http://www.afcesa.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=16723
[edit] External links
- Red Horse Association
- 819th RED HORSE Squadron
- 560 RED HORSE Squadron
- The role of Air Force civil engineers in counterinsurgency operations
- Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force
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