For Master Sgt. Zachary Terry, construction has never just been about buildings.
Long before he joined the Air Force, Terry spent his childhood surrounded by construction sites, helping his father’s contracting business and building makeshift projects with his brothers from leftover materials. Years later, that foundation would lead him to a career in Air Force Civil Engineering, where he now serves as section chief of the structural shop for the 820th RED HORSE Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
Today, Terry oversees 52 joint personnel across multiple construction projects while helping prepare the next generation of expeditionary engineers for the challenges of tomorrow’s fight.
“I grew up around it my whole life,” Terry said. “Even when I was little, it was my brothers and I running around using scraps my dad had laying around, building treehouses in the woods. It’s always been my thing.”
Before finding his place in the Air Force, Terry attended college after receiving a full-ride scholarship but struggled to determine a career path. After exploring several majors, including architecture, he spoke with recruiters from multiple branches before ultimately choosing the Air Force and a structural career field.
What attracted him was the opportunity to combine engineering, problem-solving, and hands-on construction.
“It seemed like a mash-up of a ton of different jobs,” Terry said. “I knew I’d be doing something different almost every day.”
That decision launched a career spanning six assignments in 15 years, including with the 819th RED HORSE Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Lajes Field in Portugal, deployments to Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Southwest Asia, and an instructor assignment at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Along the way, Terry gained experience across both RED HORSE and Prime BEEF environments. While uncommon for most, it is what he credits for shaping his leadership style.
“RED HORSE builds hard workers,” Terry said. “Prime BEEF builds problem solvers.”
While RED HORSE focuses on expeditionary construction and large-scale projects, Prime BEEF Airmen often troubleshoot complex infrastructure issues with limited resources. Experiencing both environments taught Terry the value of technical expertise, adaptability, and innovation.
That perspective continues to influence how he leads his team today. Terry balances administrative responsibilities with project oversight and mentorship. His team is currently engaged in multiple vertical construction projects while also supporting future RED HORSE modernization efforts and readiness initiatives.
Despite increasing leadership responsibilities, he makes it a priority to remain connected to the work and the Airmen performing it.
“It’s always a juggling act,” Terry said. “Making sure I take care of my responsibilities but also make time to get out and pass on some knowledge to younger Airmen.”
His love and commitment for mentorship began while he served as an instructor at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport Mississippi.
Over three and a half years, Terry trained thousands of Airmen, Soldiers, and Sailors entering the engineering profession. The experience allowed him to share lessons learned from his experiences, helping shape the future of the career field.
“Being able to get out there and shape my career field in ways that you can’t really do in a standard assignment was pretty amazing,” Terry said.
The assignment also reinforced that leadership is about investing in people. It’s a lesson he carries forward as a senior noncommissioned officer.
For Terry, developing future engineers goes beyond teaching technical skills. It means fostering adaptability, teamwork, and resilience.
“No one’s just a structures troop. No one’s just an electrician,” Terry said. “Airmen do the work that needs to be done.”
That mentality helps build the camaraderie and trust necessary to succeed in high-tempo expeditionary environments where teams often deploy, train, and execute projects together year-round.
Within RED HORSE, Terry says that shared purpose is strengthened by a deep sense of pride and tradition.
“There’s so much tradition steeped in RED HORSE,” he said. “I think a big thing is just pride. You have pride in the hat. You have pride in your unit. You have pride in the fact that you can do anything, anywhere.”
Terry recently served as camp mayor during a large-scale exercise, overseeing the rapid construction of a tent city capable of supporting up to 200 personnel. Despite winds exceeding 20 miles per hour, the team established the camp in approximately seven hours.
The exercise highlighted the capability that sets engineers apart and highlights their ability to create operational infrastructure anywhere in the world, at a moment’s notice.
“The fact that we can go anywhere in the world within 72 hours and create an air base from nothing, that’s an extremely powerful capability,” Terry said.
As the Air Force continues emphasizing readiness and Agile Combat Employment concepts, Terry believes Civil Engineers are uniquely positioned to support future operations through innovation, adaptability, and relentless preparation.
“To me, ‘Ready Today, Ready Tomorrow’ is not only about tackling the challenges we’re currently facing,” Terry said. “It’s about being forward-thinking enough to tackle the challenges we’re going to face in the future.”
After more than a decade of assignments, deployments, and leadership opportunities, Terry still finds motivation in the same thing that first drew him to the profession: building something that lasts.
Whether it is a structure that will stand long after his career ends or a young Airman whose development he helped shape, the impact is enduring.