Combat construction services AOR

Photo By Senior Airman Kasey Zickmund | Staff Sgt. Rod Savage, 1st Expeditionary Red Horse Group unit training manager, covers a pallet prepared for shipment at a non-disclosed Southwest Asia location Feb. 23.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

02.27.2010

Story by Senior Airman Spencer Gallien 

379th Air Expeditionary Wing

Since the beginning of Operation's Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, one group has left an indelible imprint that can be seen at almost every combat location throughout the AOR.

The 1st Expeditionary Rapid Engineers Deployable Heavy Operations Repair Squadron Engineers Group, consisting of more than 570 service members and encompassing 44 Air Force Specialty Codes, came together as a unit to provide the AOR $107.7 million worth of construction projects in four countries since January 2009.

Contracting, personnel, engineer, finance, transportation and logistics Airmen are just a small sampling of the types of career fields needed at the 1st ERHG to keep their mission running smoothly.

Since deploying to the AOR in September, the current RED HORSE rotation has completed 106 United Nations International Security Assistance Forces, U.S. Forces Afghanistan, Air Force Central Command, U.S. Forces Iraq, Naval Construction Regiment and various other government agencies' construction projects and initiatives.

"U.S. Air Forces Central, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, and U.S. Forces-Iraq send us their lists of theater-priority projects. As soon as we receive them, our design engineers begin planning the projects," said Maj. Eric Mannion, 1st ERHG deputy commander. "After the design engineers are done designing, we'll move the project through supply, contracting, and finance to buy the materials we need."

After the materials and equipment necessary to complete the project is acquired, a team of Airmen palletize the material and send it downrange, along with RED HORSE members to begin the project.

From runways to building complexes, the 1st ERHG is building up the AOR, providing servicemembers the facilities needed to accomplish their mission.

At one forward operating base, a team of RED HORSE Airmen is building one of the largest runways in theater. The 8,000 foot runway is being constructed to support heavy aircraft such as the C-17 Globemaster III.

At some of the most austere locations military forces finds themselves during current operations, RED HORSE helps sustain life and mission through construction initiatives.
A well drilling team has currently completed seven wells at various forward operating bases valued at $2.6 million dollars. Those wells provide units at those FOB's the ability to acquire their own water, rather than relying on ground or air assets to deliver it.

"The wells we provide for on-site water supply at FOB's help save lives and Air Force resources," said Senior Master Sgt. Bequetta Washington, 1st ERHG first sergeant. "By providing water wells, we help keep convoys off roads—saving lives. We also don't have to airdrop water in—saving Air Force resources."

Currently, the pallet team responsible for palletizing, processing and shipping equipment and material downrange to mobile RED HORSE teams has been working hard to ensure construction units can accomplish their mission.

The pallet team averages 36 pallets, weighing about 210,000 pounds, worth roughly $670,000 per week. During the entire deployment, the group projects a total of 936 pallets weighing in at 5,460,000 pounds worth $17.42 million.

The large amount of material and equipment moved through the group and forwarded to bases throughout the AOR, creates a difficult job for the pallet team, as well as the Airmen in charge of handling the group's logistics.

RED HORSE also utilizes an organic "outside the wire" Combat Logistics Patrol team to move project materials and equipment throughout Afghanistan. To date the CLP team has moved more than 1,000 short tons to re-supply the remote RED HORSE forward operating sites.

"I've deployed with RED HORSE twice," said Capt. Steve Wymore, 1st ERHG logistics readiness officer. "The pace is non-stop here. The ops guys build faster than we can procure material."

The group has currently completed 11 construction projects worth $7.4 million at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, nine initiatives worth $33.9 million at FOB Dwyer, Afghanistan, 24 projects at Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan, valued at $22.2 million and nine projects at Ali Air Base, Iraq, worth $9.4 million.

"During every deployment rotation, RED HORSE squadrons that make up the [1st ERHG] leave a mark on the AOR that will be here for years to come," said Major Mannion. "From the first time I came here in 2000 to now, I'm very impressed with the progress I've seen."

• Date Taken: 02.27.2010
• Date Posted: 02.27.2010 04:08
• Story ID: 45918
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)