Airmen from the 820th RED HORSE Squadron?s airborne flight drop from a C-130 Hercules flown by the Wyoming Air National Guard during a training mission April 24, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The static-line jump mission included Airmen from the 820th RHS, 6th Combat Training Squadron and the 58th Rescue Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Troy Hollis, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight, checks equipment for Staff Sgt. Nick Urban, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight, prior to a static-line jump mission April 25, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Ten Airmen of the 820th RHS participated in the static-line jump mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)
A U.S. Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller, prepares to land after a static line jump out of a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 Hercules, during a training mission, April 25, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. JTACs direct the action of combat aircraft engaged in close air support and other air-to-ground operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Sean McCarty, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight firefighter, and Tech. Sgt. Kellen Buss, water and fuels systems maintenance craftsman, check radio frequencies during a training mission, April 24, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. RED HORSE added an airborne capability in 2005. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Eric Muller, 6th Combat Training Squadron joint terminal attack controller instructor, and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ian Zerby, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight member, ruck back to the designated landing zone during a training mission, April 24, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. RED HORSE airmen perform airdrop missions to stay current on training and certifications, which enables them to perform jump missions and operate their own drop zones. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
A U.S. Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller gets pulled by his parachute after landing during a training mission, April 26, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. A static line parachute allows jumps from very low altitudes since the chute opens immediately after the jumper leaves the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
U.S. Air Force Airmen, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight, board a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 Hercules, during a training mission April 24, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The 820th RED HORSE Squadron provides rapidly deployable engineering support in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Filipe Lucero, Staff Sgt. Daniel Franklin, and Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Madden, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight, prepare to conduct a static line training jump from a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 Hercules April 26, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Airmen of the 820th RED HORSE Squadron train to operate in complex physical, social and informational environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sergeant Romag, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight jump master, signals to Airmen during a sling load training jump from a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 Hercules April 24, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The jumpmaster's responsibilities consist of getting paratroopers trained properly, getting them to the aircraft, and getting them safely delivered to the ground. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Sean McCarty, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne, and Tech. Sgt. Kellen Buss, use anemometers to measure wind speed during a training mission, April 24, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. RED HORSE can rapidly deliver small specialized teams and equipment packages by airdrop or air insertion to conduct expedient airfield repairs. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kellen Buss, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight water and fuels systems maintenance craftsman, reports canopy openings during a training mission, April 25, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. RED HORSE added an airborne capability in 2005. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. James Ward, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight member, packs his parachute after landing during a training mission, April 25, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The primary RED HORSE tasking in peacetime is to train for contingency and wartime operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
Airmen parachute during a training mission, April 25, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Members of RED HORSE and Joint Terminal Attack Controllers took part in refresher and qualification jumps. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. James Ward, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight airborne engineering assistant, watches as Airmen from the prepare to conduct a static line jump from a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 Hercules, during a training mission April 24, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The training allowed 820th RED HORSE Squadron Airmen to remain qualified. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mitch Romag 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight jump master ensures it is safe to conduct a static line jump from a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 Hercules during a training mission April 24, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Airmen of the 820th RED HORSE Squadron must maintain a high state of readiness through an aggressive training regimen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)
Airmen from the 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight move equipment to a training site to fix a simulated runway during a training mission April 26, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. RED HORSE Combat Engineer Flights provide special capabilities to conduct expedient repairs to airfield surfaces and evaluate supporting infrastructure for potential follow-on forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)
U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Joshua Tully, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight fire fighter, waters down dirt as Staff Sgt. Norris, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight pavements and construction craftsman, waits to level it down during a training mission on a simulated runway April 26, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The RED HORSE Engineering Team assesses airfields, clears obstacles, makes expedient airfield damage repairs, and provides initial assessment of required follow-on forces and material resources to establish sustainable contingency airfield operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Land, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight electrician, along with Staff Sgt.Jesse Hubbard and Staff Sgt. Daniel Franklin, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight power production craftsmen prepare to light the airfield with phantom lights during a training mission at a simulated flightline April 26, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Airmen of the 820th RED HORSE Squadron conduct forward operating base construction, force protection build-up, and infrastructure assessment and repair. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)
Members of the U.S. Air Force 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight parachute during a training mission, April 26, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. RED HORSE airman can reach otherwise inaccessible locations via air-drop. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Omar Torres, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight member, looks through the rising sun to locate a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 Hercules, during a training mission, April 26, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Torres had to locate the C-130 for wind readings and to monitor the jump. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kellen Buss, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight member, turns on phantom lights to light the designated landing zone during a training mission, April 26, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Lighting a DLZ during a low-light jump allows pilots and jumpers to see the target. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Omar Torres, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight member, stakes down tarps marking the designated landing zone during a training mission, April 26, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Torres is getting certified as a DLZ safety officer. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Sean McCarty, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight member, uses an anemometer to measure wind speed during a training mission, April 26, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Anemometers are instrumental in the safety for the members jumping. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Daniel Hughes)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Felipe Lucero, 820th RED HORSE airborne flight explosive ordinance disposal craftsman, untangles parachute lines after conducting a static line training jump from a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 Hercules April 26, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The primary purpose of RED HORSE EOD is clearing unexploded ordinance before repair of damaged airfields begins. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jason Couillard)
by Staff Sgt. Chris Hubenthal
99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
5/8/2012 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Jumping out of the back of a C-130 Hercules, thousands of feet above the ground, is only a small part of the mission of the 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight. Air drops are just another means to arrive at their destination to apply their light construction capabilities.
Tech. Sgt. Mitch Romag, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight jump master, values the training his flight is able to receive.
"Our guys benefit from this training by staying proficient in their job operations. The more you jump, the more comfortable you are and the better you get at it," Romag said. "The less you jump, the more potential for injury is present."
Air drop and air insert skill sets are easily lost if training isn't emphasized. Repetition allows airborne RED HORSE Airmen to become a highly capable force.
"Anytime you do an air drop operation, you have to conduct what is called a pre-jump training," Romag said. "That involves the air brief and practicing the actual jump. We have a mock up door of a C-130 Hercules outside where we can train and focus on certain details."
The mission doesn't end after the paratroopers exit the aircraft. The bulk of the operational requirements occur after landing successfully on the ground.
"The flight is designed to be a bridge between the seizure force and the follow-on forces," Romag said. "We get to a runway where we apply light construction to involve airfield damage repair and set up of the landing zone."
Once paratroopers reach the ground, Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Alessi, 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight pavements and construction equipment operator, is the lead RED HORSE Airman on the ground during runway crater operations.
"The reason we drop in is we're going into an area where aircraft is unable to land," Alessi said. "We go in with the ability to repair the runway or to create a brand new landing zone so the follow-on forces of RED HORSE can arrive on location."
Crater repair is one of the light constructions the RED HORSE airborne flight specializes in. Alessi is in charge of overseeing the task to completion.
"With crater repairs, we're pretty much looking to make sure everything is being compacted so when the C-130's land on the strip the aircraft will take no damage," Alessi said.
Airmen train on a simulated bombed-out runway to ensure mission readiness and preparedness for their missions.
"If the aircraft comes in hot and lands at the wrong angle and you have not compacted an area to what it needs to be, you're going to cause damage to either the aircraft, or someone is going to lose their life," Alessi said.
Training to fight and maintaining expertise in their mission are tasks the Airmen of the 820th RED HORSE airborne flight take very seriously. With a team of 40 airborne qualified members, the flight is a professional and proficient force.
From the air to the ground, the 820th RED HORSE Squadron airborne flight has the ability to operate anywhere around the world at any time.
"If you need light construction anywhere in the world, you can call us and we can get it there," Romag said.
