Nellis’ Red Horse Squadron set for work in Iraq

Jace Radke

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2003 | 9:43 a.m.

After spending six months in Afghanistan last year, Nellis Air Force Base's 820th Red Horse Civil Engineering Squadron is scheduled to be deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom today.

About 90 members of the squadron are scheduled to leave Nellis today to provide construction, engineering and repair capabilities for the region, Nellis officials said.

In Afghanistan the squadron was charged with building the infrastructure for a military airport, and constructed a temporary aircraft ramp and two tension fabric hangars within 16 days of its arrival.

A 1 million-square-foot aircraft parking apron the size of 18 football fields was built, and the squadron also constructed four more hangars, a fire station, a warehouse and an operations building.

In all, $26 million in infrastructure was built by the squadron, and the work allowed Air Force planes to provide better support during Operation Enduring Freedom. More than 200 members of the squadron received medals for their work in Afghanistan.

Red Horse has in recent years undertaken humanitarian missions in addition to support of U.S. forces abroad. Since 1999 the squadron has helped repair airport runways in Albania, built a school in Grenada, worked to repair damage caused by Hurricane Mitch in El Salvador and constructed roads and buildings in the Caribbean.