1erhgnewsletterdec09.. - Red Horse Association

R E D H O R S E T i m e s N o v - D e c 0 9 

Newsletter for 

1 ERHG 

HORSEMEN, co-workers, friends and family members 

RED HORSE 

Times Nov-Dec 

U . S . A I R F O R C E 

Meet the Doc in the Desert 

P a g e 1 

I N S I D E T H I S 

I S S U E : 

Promotions 2 

Birthdays 2 

Monthly Award Winners 2 

Articles 

Featuring “A Day in the 

Life of an Airman” 

3-7 

Site Photos 8-12 

Air Force Humor 13 

Kid’s Corner 14 

Commander’s 

Comments 

15 

By: MSgt Eric Jackson, 

Chaplain Assistant 

Many of us have 

aspired to work in the profession 

that we‘ve always 

dreamed of since we were 

children. Dr. Oscar O‘Neill, 

Major, is one of those children 

who today is able to 

say, ―I‘ve fulfilled my childhood 

dream.‖ At a very 

young age Dr. O‘Neill, 

M.D., doctor for the 1 ERHG 

(1 st Expeditionary RED 

HORSE Group deployed to 

Southwest and Central Asia), 

wanted to become a medical 

doctor. 

It all began during 

those formative years while 

attending a funeral, when he 

told a church teacher that he 

wanted to become a doctor. 

Little did he know that his 

first major professional vocation 

would be as a fulltime 

soldier in the U.S. 

Army, and that he would 

return some eighteen or 

more years to the desert, 

only this time not as an 

enlisted soldier, but as an 

officer, a ―RED HORSEman 

‖, and a USAF physician by 

way of the PA Air National 

Guard, and the 201 st RED 

HORSE, Detachment 1, Willow 

Grove, PA. His pool of 

patients this time is over 

550, a far cry from the numbers 

he‘s used to seeing at 

his family practice at Lehigh 

Valley Hospital, in Allentown, 

Pennsylvania. After 

earning his diploma from 

high school in his hometown 

in Puerto Rico, he attended 

the University of Puerto 

Maj O‘Neill travels to Dwyer to give 

out the dreaded H1-N1 Shot. 

Rico. After a year of college 

study, he entered the U.S. 

Army to earn money to complete 

his college studies and 

fulfill his childhood dream. 

―That‘s why I joined the 

Army, I didn‘t have the 

money to complete my degree,‖ 

says Dr. O‘Neill. 

While attending college for 

that one year, he also worked 

as a grocery store bagger to 

earn extra money. Certainly, 

Dr. O‘Neill‘s humble spirit 

and perseverance fueled 

his drive for success, a character 

attribute that other airmen 

may add to the standard 

AF Core Values, Integrity 

First, Service Before Self, 

and Excellence in All We 

Do. As an eighteen year 

old private E-1 in the U.S. 

Army, Dr. O‘Neill found 

himself in an Iraqi desert 

during the first Gulf War, 

known as Desert Shield and 

Desert Storm. ―It was a 

very unique experience,‖ 

he explained, ―being out in 

the desert in the front line. 

I went from basic training 

to A.I.T. (Advanced Individual 

Training, an Army 

term) in Fort Knox, KY, to 

Fort Reilly, Kansas for just 

over a month; then to the 

desert. I was assigned to A 

-CO 4-37 th ARMOR, 1st 

Mechanized Infantry Division 

and got word of 

my future deployment to the 

desert almost, as soon as I 

arrived there. However, 

since I was just out of Basic 

Training/AIT, and had no 

field training it was all 

―intense‖ OJT (on-the-jobtraining) 

in the desert.‖ 

(Con’t on Page 3)


C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s 

P a g e 2 

November/December 

Promotions 

Gray, Lloyd — SSgt 

1 Nov 09 

823D RHS, Hurlburt Field 

Cavanaugh, Johnathon —SSgt 

1 Nov 09 


Baker, Justin —SSgt 

1 Nov 09 


Richardson, Brian — SSgt 

1 Nov 09 


Drake, Kendall — A1C 

1 Nov 09 


Day, James — SSgt 

1 Nov 09 

823D RHS, HurlburtField 

Richardson, Ryan — SrA 

2 Nov 09 


Jones, Steven — SrA 

4 Nov 09 


Allen, Dylan — A1C 

15 Nov 09 


Madsen, Nathaniel — A1C 

15 Nov 09 


Barron, Benjamin—TSgt 

1 Dec 09 


Copeland , Michael—TSgt 

1 Dec 09 


Terasas, Justin—SrA 

10 Dec 09 


Trecroce, Troy—SrA 

19-Dec 09 


Stodden Skylar—A1C 

26-Dec 09 


December Birthdays 

Troy Forrester— 1 December 

Michael Yuscavage— 1 December 

Gary King— 1 December 

John Hefner— 1 December 

Benjamin Knost— 1 December 

Nicholas Mundorff— 3 December 

Craig Massey— 4 December 

Gabriel Laudue— 4 December 

Stanley Poleshuk— 4 December 

Steven Fernandezbalbirona— 

5 December 

Don Moore— 5 December 

Matthew Smith— 6 December 

Nestor Cardenas— 7 December 

Jeremiah Holt—7 December 

Kody Hopper— 7 December 

Christopher Black— 7 December 

Gary Ward— 8 December 

Anthony Ross— 9 December 

Jessica Skerda— 10 December 

Edward Dimaio— 10 December 

Jerry Girvan— 10 December 

Harold Light— 12 December 

Jered Glover— 12 December 

Phillip Dantzler— 12 December 

Scott Whitney— 12 December 

Benjamin Conrad—13 December 

Kenny Edwards— 13 December 

Rosanna Wilson— 13 December 

Zackary Black— 14 December 

Michael Reier— 14 December 

Christopher Daughtry— 

14 December 

Chad Patterson— 14 December 

David Porche— 14 December 

Antonio Santos Torres— 

14 December 

Matthew Kmiec— 15 December 

Gregory Wheeler— 15 December 

John Pierson— 17 December 

Robert Alsup— 17 December 

Michael Mordan— 17 December 

Luis Rodriguez— 17 December 

Jorel Williams— 17 December 

Matthew Bennett— 17 December 

Ian Hobson— 17 December 

Brian Heck— 18 December 

Lowery Bridges— 19 December 

More December Birthdays 

Michelle Du Lac— 19 December 

Robert Lloyd— 19 December 

James Thornton—20 December 

Seth Ricketson— 20 December 

Gary King— 21 December 

Ian Sthole— 21 December 

Timothy Dalby—21 December 

Justin Terasas—21 December 

Jennine Carter— 21 December 

Brandy Curry—21 December 

Justin Terasas— 23 December 

James Wesson—23 December 

Maria Christina— 25 December 

Robert Mcdonald—26 December 

Steven Callendar— 28 December 

Lloyd Gray— 29 December 

Jason Saldano—29 December 

Gordon Strom— 29 December 

Raymund Ballesteros— 

30 December 

OCTOBER MONTHLY 

AWARD WINNERS 

AMN 

A1C Kendall T. Drake 

Bagram 

NCO 

TSgt Daid A. Porche 

Al Udeid 

SNCO 

MSgt Danny R. Frey 

Bagram 

CGO 

Capt Michael D. Askegren 

Kandahar 

TEAM OF THE MONTH 

Engineering Design Team 

Southwest Asia 

AMN Work HORSE 

A1C Jay Powelson 

Ali 

NCO Work HORSE 

TSgt Lisa Tupper 

Ali 

CONGRATS TO ALL OF OUR 

OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS!


P a g e 3 

(Con’t from Page 1) 

At times it was scary, but 

things came out well for me. It 

changed the way you look at things. 

For 5 ½ months I slept inside the 

tank; sometimes on the top, or on a 

cot next to it. It was literally ‗my 

house‘. It can make you a more 

mature person going from an E-1 to 

an officer in the USAF. I feel very 

comfortable talking with enlisted 

members because that‘s how I began 

and spent so many of my 

years.‖ ―Doc O‘Neill‖ as he is affectionately 

called by enlisted as 

well as, by his officer peers, had 

much to say about what is the most 

important part of being a medical 

doctor. When asked the question, 

his response was: ―Helping people 

feel better; using my medical 

knowledge to heal and treat illnesses; 

working with people with 

chronic illnesses, specially diabetes, 

HTN, and cardiovascular and respiratory 

illnesses in general. As a 

family doctor, I have made a lot of 

friends. Sometimes I see three to 

four generations of patients including 

great grandparents. It‘s not just 

a professional relationship, I have 

with many of my patients. It‘s also 

a friendship,‖ he chuckled. ―Some 

of my patients did not want to see 

anyone else while I‘m deployed 

until I get back, but I urged them to 

be seen by another physician.‖ But 

in case you‘re wondering how this 

thirty–something family practice 

physician and Major in the 111 th 

MDG, PA Air National Guard, 

USAF, got connected with the RED 

HORSE, his answer is short and 

sweet. ―There was an email sent 

around to physicians in Pennsylvania 

asking for a doctor to volunteer 

for this deployment with the 

RED HORSE team. First it was to 

be for three months then, was 

changed to six months. After discussing 

it with my wife, I said ‗yes‘ 

and the rest is history.‖ 

Count Your Blessings 

“The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.” 

Eric Hoffer, Reflections On The Human Condition 

By: Chaplain Mark D. Brumbach 

(Southwest Asia) 

How many of the things 

that you do in your adult life did you 

learn as a child? I am grateful for 

the lessons that the adults in my life 

taught me while I was a child. Do 

you remember hearing this little 

question after someone gave you 

something or did something for you, 

―What do you say?‖ The response 

that my parents expected was, 

―Thank You‖. Gratitude was one of 

the earliest lessons that my parents 

tried to teach me. They wanted me 

to openly recognize when I had received 

something of value from 

someone else. When did you first 

learn to be thankful? 

There are times in my life 

when all that I want to do is grumble 

about how little I have or about how 

bad my situation has become. If my 

mom noticed that I was leaning toward 

the negative side of life she 

would say to me, ―Why don‘t you 

go to your room and count your 

blessings.‖ On more than one occasion 

I found myself exiled to my 

room in order to consider just how 

much good there was in my life. 

Gratitude and thanksgiving have a 

way of transforming our attitudes. 

They help us to recognize just how 

many blessings we possess. 

During this deployment I 

sometimes find myself focused on 

all that I am missing from my life at 

home. I find myself wanting to 

complain about how bad I have it, 

but then I hear those words, ―Mark, 

count your blessings.‖ Thank you 

for a warm bed and a dry place to 

sleep. Thank you for a new day 

filled with possibilities. Thank you 

for three meals a day. Thank you 

for the friendships that are developing. 

Thank you for the work that I 

have to do. Thank you for family 

and friends who truly miss me and 

want me to come home. Thank you 

for experiences that I would never 

have had if I had stayed at home. 

Thank you that today moves me one 

day closer to home. 

Count your blessings and be grateful! 

For each new morning with its light, 

For rest and shelter of the 

night, 

For health and food, 

for love and friends, 

For everything Thy goodness sends. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Blessings, 

Chap B 

Chaplain B serves the Airmen at Wolverine 

a delicious Thanksgiving Meal

P a g e 4 R E D H O R S E T i m e s N o v - D e c 0 9 

FEATURED SITE—TARIN KOWT 

By: Capt Ethan England 

(Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan) 

Tarin Kowt is home to 

troops from several nations, primarily 

Holland, Australia and the 

United States. RED HORSE here, 

as elsewhere has proven itself to be 

a valuable commodity; improving 

the working conditions as well as 

the mission effectiveness of the supported 

units. Here RED HORSE has 

its own section of Camp Cole, one 

of several coalition camps on Tarin 

Kowt. Where we reside in tents, 

with an easy walk to the Camp Dining 

Facility, and a new gym which 

are both in large tents. 

Prior to the rainy season 

we have been tasked with the mission 

of building a four company HQ 

building in order to get the Army‘s 

82 nd Combat Aviation Brigade out 

of tents and into the dryer working 

conditions of a SWA hut (a 44 ft. X 

110 ft. building made out of plywood). 

Also the Motor Pool and 

Supply Yards were sitting in a potential 

swamp, guarantying not only 

a miserable but a potentially dangerous 

work environment during the 

rainy season. There we have been 

tasked with creating drainage, a 

stable surface and a protective wall 

around the perimeter. As with any 

RED HORSE project we strive to 

give the customer all that they 

expect and more. We make that 

possible with the high level of professionalism 

and craftsmanship exuded 

by our men and women. 

The Tarin Kowt TEAM 

Another Day in Paradise! 

(AKA Bagram, Afghanistan) 

By Capt Rachel Hamlyn 

(Bagram, Afghanistan) 

Bagram Airfield is located 

in Northern Afghanistan and is the 

home of approximately 43 active 

duty and Air National Guard 

HORSEmen that are deployed from 

all over the world. The scenery is 

nice and the deployed conditions 

aren‘t too bad. The team lives in B- 

Huts…aka small wooden facilities 

that have 6-8 rooms in them, where 

everyone has their own small space. 

However, the walk to the bathrooms 

can be pretty cold in the middle of 

the night. The temperatures at Bagram 

have gotten as low as 18 degrees 

during the night. However, 

when the sun is out, the temperatures 

are still reaching the low-60s 

for a few hours during the day. The 

food at Bagram is great…all you 

can eat ice cream and cookies…all 

the time. (There is other good, 

Home Sweet Home! The 

Bagram B-Huts 

healthier food too!) 

The RED HORSE team at 

Bagram has completed 3 major construction 

projects in the last 2 

months. Currently the extremely 

hard-working team is finishing up a 

large concrete project on the airfield 

and a large K-Span project. Everyone 

on the team has been an instrumental 

player in all of the projects. 

The vehicle mechanics ensure that 

all of the vehicles & heavy equipment 

is working…and when the 

dirtboys break something, they have 

it back up-and-running in no time 

(as long as they have the spare 

parts). The logistics Airmen ensure 

that the supplies are being shipped 

for projects all over Afghanistan, 

bring lunch to the jobsites to ensure 

everyone is getting a nutritious 

meal, as well as make sure that all 

of the Airmen at Bagram are receiving 

their care packages from friends 

and family. The dirtboys place concrete 

almost every day…one day on 

the airfield and the next day on the 

K-Span site. Structures technicians, 

electricians, plumbers and HVAC 

techs are busy building interior 

walls, wiring outlets and installing 

HVAC systems in the K-span. The 

work never ends here at Bagram. 

As the weather gets colder, 

we will continue to work hard…and 

wear more clothes! We are looking 

forward to the snow and rain in the 

upcoming months as well. Hopefully 

we will see a white Christmas!!

P a g e 5 R E D H O R S E T i m e s N o v - D e c 0 9 

A1C Kendall Drake 

(Bagram, Afghanistan) 

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A1C DRAKE 

A day in the life of an A1C 

HORSEman is always a learning experience 

for me. I am constantly being 

pushed to do my best by the leadership 

here in Bagram AF. With this being 

my first deployment, I have already 

acquired a considerable amount of 

experience in my career field as a dirt 

boy. A typical day for me would consist 

of getting up and heading to the 

gym with my fellow airmen, A1C 

Nate Madsen and A1C Justin Lindblom, 

and putting up some weight 

before I get to lead organized PT. I 

volunteered to be a PTL because I 

enjoy improving not only my physical 

fitness abilities, but also my fellow 

HORSEmen physical fitness. After PT 

and breakfast, we all gather for our 

A1C Wilson Bailey 

(Ali AB, Iraq) 

The title of this article is the 

―Day in the Life of a RED HORSE 

Airman,‖ unfortunately no two days 

are the same. As a RED HORSE Airman, 

I am constantly immersed into 

different projects where I must apply 

all my knowledge while simultaneously 

learning new skill and ―tricks of 

my trade.‖ To better illustrate this 

point, I incite you to consider my 

schedule this very day. In the morn- 

morning meeting then break off to our 

respective job sites. 

During this deployment, I have already 

been involved in multiple construction 

projects. My favorite would 

have to be working on the tie-in we 

ing, I was on the airfields working on 

our airfield lighting project; an enterprise 

where knowledge of saw cutting 

techniques, as well as concrete (from 

forming to removing forms) is required. 

After lunch I was sent to our 

hospital project where I was required 

to adequately operate a backhoe in 

order to install a septic tank. As different 

as my day may be from hour to 

hour, there are constants. Without perseverance, 

a high work ethic and a 

willingness to accept new and different 

ideas, RED HORSE would not be 

the pinnacle of military engineering 

today. 

All of this I have learned in 

the last few months I have spent with 

RED HORSE as I am currently part of 

the 5 CES Unit in Minot, North Dakota. 

I have enjoyed the time that I 

have spent with them thus far and continue 

to look forward to the future 

endeavors of this unit. But work 

wouldn‘t be work without fun. 

Through barbecues, volleyball, horseshoes 

and a number of other activities 

are doing for the air-field. It‘s enjoyable 

being able to be working out 

there and watch the jets taking off and 

landing. Although, I admit, the K- 

Span was definitely a learning opportunity, 

it was my first time experiencing 

the construction process. 

Back in the states, I would go 

to the beach and wake board during 

my free time. Here in Bagram, I don‘t 

have that option. Instead I spend most 

of my time working out, hanging 

around our b-huts, or getting big off 

the chow hall food. We are pretty 

lucky here in BAF; KBR contracting 

serves up some delicious food. We 

even get hot meals from them when 

we are out on the job sites. 

I am grateful about being 

airman of the month for the AOR. It is 

always a good feeling to be recognized 

for your hard work. 

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A1C BAILEY 

morale is kept at a constant high so 

that we have the motivation to do our 

best when it comes time to put on our 

hard hats and get back in the equipment. 

And when we finally say goodbye 

to the desert and head home…we 

would be able to fill volumes of books 

with the stories that have come from 

everyday life in the AOR. From things 

that one had to be there, to situations 

that are frustrating at the moment, we 

will be able to look back at and laugh 

about. Many stories…from the hot, 

dusty job site and stories from our 

comfortable, air conditioned trailers. 

RED HORSE is full of hard days, fun 

times, motivation and productivity. 

We accept all with humility, grace and 

a willingness to put our heads down 

and push no matter how hard the situation 

may be. We have been petitioned 

with rebuilding Iraq, and so we shall. 

RED HORSE is essential to the success 

of democracy in the modern 

world, and we will stay till the job is 

done. TO THE HORSE!

P a g e 6 


A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A1C JACKSON 

By: A1C Chad Jackson 

(Basra, Iraq) 

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! 

Time to get up, its morning already. 

0545 my alarm goes off and it is 

time for me to get up and start the 

day. I put my PT gear on and get 

ready to run. 0600 hits and we all 

meet outside with the rest of our 

shop. We run to the bazaar and 

back. After a good hard run its time 

to go eat. Mike and I usually 

meet up right outside ―The 

Barn‖ (our living quarters) and 

then walk to the chow hall. 

They usually serve the same 

thing for breakfast everyday but 

some of it is freshly cooked 

right in front of you and is actually 

quite fulfilling. After we 

get done having a relaxed meal, 

due to the comfortable seating 

and luxury of watching what 

little TV we can , we head back 

to use the time we have left 

before work to get dressed, 

shower, shave, etc. 

It‘s 0745 and time to go to 

work. Yet again we all meet up 

outside and split into our shops to 

head to the designated job sites. As 

a small shop with only 5 plumbers 

we all get into our truck and head to 

the TOC. As we pull into the TOC 

we discuss what tools and/or supplies 

we will need for the day. If 

time permits we briefly check our 

work emails. Once that is all said 

and done we head to our job site. 

Currently we are working 

on getting the waste and water line 

along with the sewage and water 

tanks for eight ―Cadillac‘s‖. Unfortunately, 

we haven‘t had the easiest 

time with our project because of 

material issues. In spite of problems 

that have arisen, we have managed 

with what we could scrounge up. 

As a new token to the Air Force, I 

learn more and more every day 

about my job and the Air Force such 

as: Knowledge, Techniques, and Do 

and Don‘ts. 

Man, I‘m getting hungry. 

It‘s 1130 and the chow hall just 

opened for lunch. We usually try to 

get there right when it opens. The 

food is great. A lot to choose from 

and just about all of it is cooked 

fresh and you can‘t even tell if it is 

frozen out of a quick-bake box. We 

all sit down and eat as we watch a 

little TV. The time passes and its 

time to go before we know it. After 

that it‘s back to work. We work 

until quitting time and then start 

cleaning our job site and picking up 

the tools and supplies that have to 

go back to the yard. Wow! Finally, 

the day is over. Well, sort of. 

Once we get back from 

work me and two others from the 

shop go workout. This is one of the 

things I look forward to everyday. 

We have multiple places to work 

out. We have an old British gym 

which is in a tent. We can also go 

to Charlie‘s or the main base gym. 

We are usually working out anywhere 

from an hour to an hour and a 

half. That leaves us with just 

enough time to go back to the chow 

hall and eat dinner. Once we have 

had our final meal for the day it‘s 

time to calm down and go about the 

nightly routine of showering and 

getting everything ready for the next 

day. I also spend time talking to my 

wife and family in my room that I 

share with another airman. 

It‘s hard to be away from 

what I love, which is my family and 

friends. We take for granted how 

much comfort we have at home until 

we get over where we have to go 

outside to use the restroom. We 

have no cell phones to text our 

friends and family. We can‘t go 

where we want when we want. 

But, in my short time being here, 

I have learned that you can do 

without most of these creature 

comforts. 

I have also found that setting 

goals helps me cope with 

being away from home. I set a 

goal for myself every day. 

While working to achieve that 

goal, I often forget that I am 

away from home. When I 

achieve that goal, it makes me 

feel that I am having a positive 

impact on improving life for 

other service members in Iraq. For 

example, when you have a 10,000 

gallon tank full of water and have to 

replace the drain valve on the very 

bottom of it because it‘s leaking-- 

without losing all the water in the 

tank--so they don‘t have to shut 

down the latrines waiting to refill it. 

The good thing is being in the desert, 

it only takes about thirty minutes 

for you to dry up. I know this 

out of experience. 

It‘s nowhere near like 

home. You are away from the 

norm, but it is teaching life skills, 

lessons and the knowledge of who I 

am and what needs to get done. At 

the end of the day I do realize that I 

am here for something bigger than 

me, and that is the mission. The 

mission has to be completed and I‘m 

a vital part of that mission.

P a g e 7 

SrA Joshua Peeler 

(Southwest Asia) 

My day starts, like most airmen 

of the 1 st Expeditionary RED HORSE 

Group, on Monday through Saturday 

with a 0600 morning formation followed 

by physical training (PT). After PT I try 

to rush so I don‘t get an extremely hot or 

cold shower due to the airmen to shower 

ratio. Then it‘s off to the chow hall for 

breakfast. I usually get an omelet with 

ham cheese and bacon, the trick here is 

to not get stuck behind the guy trying to 


A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN AIRMAN 

get pancakes or you will be there waiting 

ALL morning! If the line is too 

long or if I am feeling lazy I go for 

that old stand alone: a bowl of cereal. 

Shortly thereafter, I begin my day of 

work. Most mornings I grab a RIP-IT 

(energy drink), usually I have one or 

two which pales in comparison to SSgt 

Savage‘s 15!!!! Then I grab a bottle 

of water and start drawings. Right now 

the number of projects I work on in a 

given day varies greatly based on the 

priority of the mission but I typically 

work on drawings in support of two or 

three projects. Drafting generally consists 

of making changes to engineer 

markups, or beginning a new drawing 

based on another mission requirement. 

Right now I am drafting up drawings 

for a new gym at Wolverine. Like 

other deployed locations, we try to 

plan the day around lunch break. Here 

in Southwest Asia we‘ve found that 

the closer to 1245/1300 we go to lunch 

the fewer people and the faster we can 

get through the line. By the time we 

get back to the office most days there 

are another stack of drawing changes 

so it is right back to work. We usually 

leave the shop around 1830-1845. 

After work I go to the gym or hang out 

at Charlie‘s (the MWR trailer). I like 

checking on what movie is playing 

and whether or not I got any mail. 

Sundays I do what most others do at 

their bases sleep until I can‘t sleep no 

more. Then I go to one of the fast food 

joints on base, grab a sub, hit up Pizza 

Hut, never gone to Burger King. I attend 

church on most Sunday evenings 

at the Gospel worship service at 1900 

at the Victory Chapel-it is a great service 

and I highly encourage everyone 

who can to attend a service of their 

choice. After church I check my email 

before going to bed to start the whole 

thing all over again….so goes 

―Groundhog Day‖ here in Southwest 

Asia. 

At Kandahar... 

What’s going on...


P a g e 8 

At Bagram... 

What’s going on... 

At Dwyer...

P a g e 9 


At Tarin Kowt... 


At Wolverine...


P a g e 10 

With CLP Team... 


With Wells Team...


P a g e 11 

At Ali Base... 


At Basra…

P a g e 12 



At Taji... 

At Southwest Asia...


P a g e 13 

Air Force Humor... 

Comic taken from www.afblues.com

KID’S CORNER 

RED HORSE Word Search 

F V R X Q E G R A Y E R O M D 

B R D E E D A G R G S O C W A 

V R O M Z H C J S Q R C D L Q 

P Q H N A O A Y A G O K I P T 

Z R F D T S D F B A H C G Q I 

D E N I R E V L O W D R Q G J 

K A Y F I P N P N T E U O C W 

K C D M J G N D A Y R S E Q B 

T M U B E P W R L V L H V A T 

A F O R K L I F T O E E G U R 

J G R D T N U D E N A R C N A 

I M I A K P A V O A A D D X C 

G L M W I L M B H M T J E K T 

ALI 

BAGRAM 

BALAD 

BASRA 

CRANE 

DOZER 

DUMPTRUCK 

DWYER 

FORKLIFT 

FRONTENDLOADER 

KANDAHAR 

PAVER 

REDHORSE 

ROCKCRUSHER 

TAJI 

TARINKWOT 

TRACTOR 

WOLVERINE 

RED HORSE 

DOT-TO-DOT

Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers [RED HORSE] 

Civil Engineering REDHORSE units are trained and equipped to make heavy repairs, upgrade airfields and 

facili-ties, and support weapons systems deployment to theaters of operations. 

In Southwest Asia, 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 

offi-cers and 388 airmen) Heavy Repair Squadrons. These units, the 555th (Triple Nickel) and the 554th (Penny 

Short) Civil Engineering Squadrons were then activated in October 1965. After nine weeks of training at Cannon 

Air Force Base, New Mexico, the 555th was deployed to Cam Ranh Bay Air Base and the 554th to Phan Rang Air 

Base in Vietnam. 

Upon arrival in Vietnam, REDHORSE squadrons repaired aluminum matting runways, drilled wells to obtain 

pota-ble water, quarried and crushed stone for roads and runways, repaired mortar damage caused by enemy 

attacks, constructed and upgraded operational facilities and housing, erected aircraft revetments, and installed 

aircraft ar-resting barriers and airfield lighting systems. By 1967, six REDHORSE squadrons had been trained, 

organized, and deployed to Southeast Asia - five to South Vietnam and one to Thailand. At the peak of their activity, 

RED-HORSE total strength reached 2,400 military and more than 6,000 (Vietnamese and Thai) nationals. 

REDHORSE squadrons also had a combat capability that was frequently used. REDHORSE Combat Defense 

Teams were often called upon to man defensive positions. In addition to their military duties, many team 

members were active in the Civic Action Program during their off duty hours. Materials not used or unfit for use on 

base pro-jects were given to the local population and volunteers frequently worked with Vietnamese nationals to 

complete various building projects. REDHORSE volunteers helped to rebuild homes damaged by fire, weather, or 

war and also worked at refugee camps, orphanages, and local schools to improve the quality of life for Vietnamese 

civilians. 

Today, RED HORSE units continue to provide the Air Force with a highly mobile civil engineering response 

force to support contingency and special operations worldwide. They remain self sufficient, mobile units 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 Army engineer support is not readily available. They accomplish major airfield construction and repair work 

in for-ward locations requiring an organic logistics capability, including vehicle maintenance, food service, supply, 

and logistics plans. 

“COMMANDER’S CORNER” 

Friends, Families and Fellow HORSEMEN, 

Greetings. Isn‘t it a great day to be an American Airman! It has been another action-packed month as our 

warriors continue to provide world-class service to the combined-joint team. During our travels, Chief Litke and I continue 

to be humbled and impressed with you, our Airmen and your accomplishments. Without exception, the feedback 

from those you are supporting (Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force leadership of all ranks) is outstanding. Time and 

again we have heard ―we didn‘t know the Air Force had anything like the HORSE. Can you stay and do more?‖ The 

work is hard and the conditions extreme but your spirits remain high. There is a lot more work in the pipeline. Good 

work that only the HORSE can accomplish. Our planners, engineers, and logisticians are making tremendous strides in 

keeping the HORSE fed—ensuring that the next project is teed up ready. Some of these projects will take many of us 

to new and different locations. Remember, we are a nomadic organization and go to where our services are most 

needed. But for now, as it is the season for giving thanks, let me again thank you, your families, and your friends for 

the continued service and sacrifice. Each of you can take great pride in the contributions you are making to the overall 

mission success. 

TO THE HORSE! 

Douglas K. Tucker 

Commander

1erhgnewsletterdec09.. - Red Horse Association

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