254th RED HORSE SQUADRON
MISSION
The RED HORSE mission is to support combat air power worldwide, RED HORSE provides the Commander of Air Force Forces (COMAFFOR) a dedicated, flexible, airfield and base heavy construction and repair capability. RED HORSE also provides many special capabilities that allow the COMAFFOR to move and support missions as the air order of battle dictates. The standard RED HORSE capability consists of 404 personnel (engineers and support personnel) with approximately 1,000 short-tons of vehicles, heavy construction and support equipment. This organic support allows the unit to operate independently for extended periods of time until normal supply channels are established. In addition to the standard capability, the RED HORSE special capabilities consist of approximately 2,200 short-tons, which can be tailored to meet specific construction and repair requirements. When operating in a higher threat, non-permissive environment outside a forward operating base or collocated operating base, the RED HORSE commander, in coordination with the area commander (i.e. combat arms land force commander), determines additional security requirements based on operational risk.
HISTORY
The 254th RED HORSE Flight (RHF) is a 125 person RED HORSE Unit that was activated in late 2000 at Camp Murray, Tacoma WA, as an Air National Guard (ANG) associate unit with the 554th RED HOSE Squadron (RHS) in Korea, both of which later relocated to Andersen AFB, Guam. On 1 Oct 2001, the Air Force Reserve Command activated the 555th RHS, Nellis AFB, NV, also to augment the 554th RHS. At that time, the 554th RHS became the only Total Force Squadron in the Air Force composed of Active Duty, Reserve, and Air National Guard components. The 254th RHF provided one-third of the manpower and equipment of the combined squadron. In 2007, the 254th RHS relocated to Andersen AFB, Guam.
The Guam Air National Guard’s 254th Civil Engineering Flight was also federally redesignated from a Civil Engineering Flight to a squadron on July 1, 1985. This conversion increased opportunities for additional training. On April 4, 2008, they were redesignated as the 254th RED HORSE Squadron (RHS). This will grow the workforce and provided more opportunities for the ANG to work with active-duty Air Force counterparts, especially with Silver Flag and Commando Warrior realigned to Guam.
In 2014, a reorganization of the Air Force RED HORSE program ended the affiliation of the active-duty units with the Guard and Reserve units.
With the ending of its affiliation with the 554th RHS: the 254th RHS now deploys with the 210th RHS from Kirklland AFB, NM and the 219th RHS from Malmstrom AFB, MT to make a complete Air National Guard Squadron. The 219th RHS serves as the lead unit for the three guard RED HORSE squadron. This makes the fourth Air National Guard RED HORSE squadron.
OPERATIONS
In 2013 – RED HORSE engineers from Andersen AFB, Guam, were engaged in construction projects valued at $31 million across US Central Command’s operational area from Afghanistan to the Middle East, according to Andersen officials. “With the scale of the projects we are currently taking on, we have to be considerably more flexible when executing the developmental stages,” said Andersen officials. The squadron built a new operations center, a large-aircraft cargo ramp, and fuel storage area, in addition to laying new command and control infrastructure and patching runways at eight sites across CENTOM’s area of responsibility,” Andersen officials added. “We are constantly mobilizing equipment, materials and personnel.” In less than two months in theater, the 254th RHS had moved more than 100,000 tons of earth, according to unit figures.
In 2015 – Andersen AFB, Guam-Pacific Air Forces positioned airfield damage repair kits at locations throughout its area of responsibility to enable remote bases to quickly get runways up and running in the event of an attack. Because of its strategic location in the Pacific and its two runways, Andersen got four of the kits. One was for the 554th RHS, two for the 36th Civil Engineering Squadron, and one for Silver Flag training, which enabled instructors to introduce PACAF airmen to the new technology. The large kits were designed to provide everything crews need to fill a crater in the event of an attack, including heavy construction equipment such as rollers, dump trucks, and bulldozers. PACAF standardized the kits across the region, though it scaled the kit sizes based on need.
In the fall of 2023, the engineers from the 254th RHS, worked to restore 50 uninhabited houses to livable conditions on Andersen Air Force Base. Once complete, the two-bedroom units will house rotational forces deployed to Guam.
UNIT PATCH
LINEAGE
2000 – 254th RED HORSE Flight established
March 2004 – Redesignated RED HORSE Squadron
STATIONS
Camp Murray,
Washington – relocated in 2007 to Andersen AFB, Guam
ASSIGNMENTS
2000 – HQ Washington Air Nationmal Guard
2007 – HQ Guam Air National Guard