22The Military Engineer l May-June l 2010 Military News Compiled by Meighan Altwies, M.SAME Airmen Rediscover RED HORSE Legacy in Haiti While conducting a routine survey of a ?eld adjacent to the airport in Port-au- Prince, Haiti, U.S. Air Force engineers from the Kansas Air National Guard were surprised to discover evidence of airmen that had been there before. During a recent leveling of the ?eld, airmen of the 190th Air Refueling Wing and 184th Intelligence Wing noticed the words 820 RHS 94 95 96 inscribed on an enormous concrete block. The podium-shaped block was so large that engineers driving earthmovers left it in the center of the newly-formed 24th Air Expeditionary Group (AEG) encamp- ment. Civil engineers from the 118th Airlift Wing and the 134th Air Refueling Squadron of the Tennessee Air National Guard also helped erect the Air Force encampment. It must be an ideal location for an encampment, because our engineers and the RED HORSE teams chose the exact same spot, said Col. Dan Cour- tois, USAF, 24th AEG Commander. The 36-in-wide, 45-in-tall block of concrete is weathered, but shows hardly a scratch given its age. At one time, it is believed to have been topped with metal horseshoes and the iconic Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Op- erational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) emblem, but only faint imprints remain. In Haiti, metal is often scavenged from old buildings, debris or abandoned construction sites and sold as scrap to feed needy families. Historical documents indicate the 820th RED HORSE Squadron was at the site in 1994 and 1995 during Operation Uphold Democracy. During the peace- keeping and nation-building opera- tion, RED HORSE airmen built a camp for 1,500 military members, repaired roads between the airport and nearby seaports and built a drainage system for the airport. 820th RED HORSE Squad- ron returned in late 1995 through early 1996 for Exercise Fairwinds. During the exercise, engineers renovated a hospi- tal, repaired roads and a school in Port- au-Prince. Today, airmen of the 24th AEG are helping to keep air traf?c and cargo ?owing into Toussaint LOuverture In- ternational Airport, assisting in the distribution of food, water and aid sup- plies, providing medical care to injured Haitians, and assisting in cleanup and recovery efforts. For now, the concrete reminder of Air Force history marks the edge of a park- ing area and a new row of tents for the growing AEG team. Airmen walk past the block as they board buses bound for rubble removal sites, medical facilities, or the ?ightline, where they unload air- craft full of relief supplies. (Contributed by Capt. Nathan D. Bros- hear, USAF, Air Forces Southern Public Affairs) NMCB-74 Details Improve Conditions, Quality of Life in Afghanistan The Seabees of Naval Mobile Con- struction Battalion (NMCB) 74 are faith- fully following in the footsteps of Naval Construction Force history as they pre- pare the way for the war?ghters of Op- eration Enduring Freedom (OEF), just as the Seabees have been doing since World War II. Although NMCB-74 maintains a 21- acre main body site on Camp Leath- erneck in Helmand Province, Afghani- stan, construction support is required throughout the country. To support the mission of OEF in Afghanistan, the battalion dispatches details which sup- port remote operations by construct- ing facilities that increase ef?ciency. A details primary mission is to improve conditions of forward operating bases (FOB) and command outposts (COP). They accomplish the mission by form- ing secure perimeter berms and guard posts, forming foundation pads, build- ing wood structures and creating roads that ease travel. We are there to establish ?rst, initial operational capability, and then ?nal operating capability of the FOB. That includes putting Marines in structures that can withstand the weather, build- ing up the roads so they can maintain mobility on their FOBs, and establish- ing freedom of movement in the FOB, said Lt. Cdr. Omarr Tobias, USN, Opera- tions Of?cer. Planning is paramount for successful construction operations at detachment sites. Often many miles must be trav- eled to deliver equipment and materials from the main body site to a detail, and according to Builder 1st Class David Fahy, USN, Detail Payne Assistant Op- erations Of?cer and a project supervi- sor, if you run short on something, you are pretty much out of luck. Although improving conditions at a FOB or COP for ease of combat op- erations is a details primary mission, improving quality of life for the service members using the facility is impor- tant, as well. Having comfortable fa- cilities in which to eat and sleep, make a phone call home, or just relax can go a long way toward sustaining the mo- rale of the Marines returning from the front lines. This is going to be like Leatherneck for a lot of the Marines; a place to come back after being out in the ?eld where there is a nice berthing, phone and rec- reational facilities and a dining facility to have a nice hot meal. Were in direct support of that by throwing gravel on the road, getting them out of the moon dust, and prepping the foundation pad. Building the wooden structures for the Marines is a lot nicer than them living in a tent, said Chief Construction Electrician Joseph Johnson, USN, Detail Payne Assistant Of?cer-in-Charge and Operations Of?cer.
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