RED HORSE Airmen Complete Runway Project

Working together with Navy Seabees, members of the 809th Expeditionary RED HORSE unit at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, completed a set of 3,000-foot airstrips at a forward operating base in southeast Afghanistan. “They wanted two runways as soon as possible,” explained TSgt. Colin Bennett, the project manager. “After the Seabees expanded the perimeter, we worked our magic and the first [runway] was operational within 13 days.” The airmen created that first runway using fine dirt and local rock. Aircraft were able to launch from it to support combat operations in the region, while the RED HORSE airmen turned their attention to constructing the second, more durable, weather-resistant runway. They built it using more than one million pounds of cement and a layer of rock. The RED HORSE team completed the airstrips in late June. (Kandahar report by TSgt. Emily F. Alley)