26The Military Engineer l November-December l 2009 RED HORSE Airmen Bring Combat Outpost into Fight Before the arrival of the 809th Expe- ditionary RED HORSE Squadron, the occupants of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Dwyer, Afghanistan, were living in a British compound lined with tents, relying solely on supplies brought in from convoys and air drops. Now, the vital role of the RED HORSE mission is providing aerial access into this region of Helmand Province. RED HORSE has several projects ranging from small, quality-of-life proj- ects to larger-scale ventures. Current big-scheme projects include digging well systems, building landing strips for ?xed and rotary-wing aircraft as well as a operating a self-suf?cient rock quarry. The ?rst milestone for the RED HORSE team was the completion of a 200-ft by 2,000-ft helipad. The project, which called for 20-in of ?ll material and 4-in of aggregate base course, was completed in two and a half weeks, al- lowing base operations to accommo- date Cobra gunships and Huey mede- vac helicopters to operate on the base. Another completed project ended with the ?rst C-130 Hercules touch- down at FOB Dwyer on an assault land- ing strip that the team executed from start to ?nish. The 4,300-ft airstrip opened the door for ?xed-wing aircraft at the base. Finally, a 12-man well-drilling team was mobilized to drill three wells that delve more than 700-ft into the earth. The ?rst well is solely for construction purposes, while the remaining wells are used for base life support operations such as bathing and cleaning. The wells produce up to 40-gpm and help mini- mize water shortages. From the construction of air?elds to harnessing untapped water sources, RED HORSE airmen are bringing life- and war-sustaining capabilities to Af- ghanistan. (Contributed by Staff Sgt. Stacia Zach- ary, USAF, USAFCENT Combat Camera Team) CMA Destroys Two Millionth Munition In early October, the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) an- nounced the safe destruction of its two millionth munition since entry- into-force of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The United States rati?ed CWC in 1997, joining more than 180 countries pledging to rid the world of chemical weapons. This major achievement for CMA is testimony to the expertise and commit- ment of its workforce, and the accom- plishment was reached while maintain- ing the safety of CMAs workforce, the public and the environment. CMA de- stroyed its millionth munition in 2001. Military News (continued)