The 820th RHS was constituted as the 820th Installations Squadron at Plattsburgh AFB, N.Y., on
1 Jun 1956, and assigned to the 820th Air Base Group, Strategic Air Command. It was
inactivated on 1 January 1960, but was activated again on 7 February 1961, organized on 1 April
at Plattsburgh, and redesignated as the 820th Civil Engineering Squadron. It was inactivated again
on 15 September 1964. It was reactivated on 12 January 1966, organized on 8 April, and
redesignated as the 820th Civil Engineering Squadron, Heavy Repair. It began training in July for
deployment to Tuy Hoa AB, Vietnam, and deployed in October, assigned to Seventh Air Force,
PACAF. The unit was reassigned to the 1st Civil Engineering Group on 15 May 1967.
This unit completed nearly 50 percent of all construction at Tuy Hoa, including 170 aircraft
protective revetments, 120,000 square feet of wooden buildings, and 175,000 square yards of
AM-2 mat. The unit moved to Da Nang AB on 28 February 1969. It was reassigned to Seventh
Air Force on 16 March 1970. The 820th returned to the United States on 15 April 1970, with
station at Nellis AFB, NV, as a Tactical Air Command (now Air Combat Command) asset,
assigned to Twelfth Air Force. It was redesignated the 820th RED HORSE Civil Engineering
Squadron on 10 March 1989. In 1990, a contingent from the unit deployed to support the
coalition effort during the Gulf War. It was redesignated the 820th RED HORSE Squadron on 1
March 1994.
FORCE included critical road and bridge repairs and construction of a new 1,000-foot taxiway at
Rinas Airport, Tirana, Albania. In 2002 the 820th completed the largest construction project
assigned to RED HORSE since the Vietnam War, a $17.6M MILCON ramp construction project
at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
The 820th joined the regular rotation of RED HORSE units to Southwest Asia in support of
Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, performing important construction work throughout the theater.
Lineage, Constituted 820 Installations Squadron on 23 Apr 1956. Activated on 1 Jun 1956.
Inactivated on 1 Jan 1960. Redesignated 820 Civil Engineering Squadron, and activated, on 7 Feb
1961. Organized on 1 Apr 1961. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 15 Sep 1964. Redesignated
820 Civil Engineering Squadron (Heavy Repair), and activated, on 12 Jan 1966. Organized on 8
Apr 1966. Redesignated: 820 Civil Engineering Squadron, Heavy Repair on 15 Oct 1969; 820
RED HORSE Civil Engineering Squadron on 10 Mar 1989; 820 RED HORSE Squadron on 1 Mar
1994.
Service Streamers, None
Vietnam,
Vietnam Air Offensive 1966-1967
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II 1967-1968
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III 1968
Vietnam Air/Ground 1968
Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV 1968-1969
TET 69/Counteroffensive 1969
Vietnam Summer/Fall 1969
Vietnam Winter/Spring 1969-1970
Southwest Asia:
Defense of Saudi Arabia 1990-1991
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait 1991
1967; 1 Jan 1969-16 Mar 1970. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: [15 Apr 1970]-25 Sep
1971; 1 Jun 1973-31 May 1975; 1 Jun 1981-31 May 1983; 1 Jun 1983-31 May 1985; 1 Jul
1986-30 June 1988; 1 Jul 1988-30 Jun 1990; 3 Sep 1990-15 Mar 1991; 1 Aug 1992-30 Jul
1994; 1 Jun 1995-31 May 1997; 1 Jun 1997-31 May 1999. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
with Palm: 8 Apr 1966-15 Apr 1970.
Combat Support Group, 1 Apr 1961-15 Sep 1964. Seventh Air Force, 8 Apr 1966; 1 Civil
Engineering Group (Heavy Repair)(later, 1 Civil Engineering Group, Heavy Repair), 15 May 1967;
Seventh Air Force, 16 Mar 1970; Twelfth Air Force, 15 Apr 1970-.
Sep 1964. Tuy Hoa AB, South Vietnam, 8 Apr 1966*; DaNang AB, South Vietnam, 28 Feb
1969-15 Apr 1970; Lake Mead/Nellis AFB, NV, 15 Apr 1970-.
Date Prepared, 29 May 2002
*Note: No personnel assigned to squadron until 1 Jul 1966; squadron in training in U.S., Jul-Aug
1966; first squadron personnel reached Tuy Hoa AB on 17 Aug 1966