RED HORSE team rides in for Ulchi Freedom Guardian

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kimberly Spinner
  • 7th Air Force Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFNS) --  Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2011 augmentees from across the globe arrived here recently to find a tent city already set up by 254th RED HORSE members.

Ulchi Freedom Guardian is an annual computer-assisted simulation command post exercise that focuses on training service members while exercising senior leaders' decision-making capabilities.

Preparing for and supporting exercises like this are not new to the 254th RHS Airmen. The Air National Guard RED HORSE members, from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, have been supporting exercises here since 2006.

"We are here to support those participating in the exercise and ensure their living conditions are in place," said Master Sgt. Robert Guzman, the 254th RHS acting first sergeant. "We make sure we make them feel at home, and they get the rest they need to do their jobs well, and they go home safely."

Their primary mission here is to assess, establish and maintain contingency facilities and infrastructure in the tent city, officials said.

"Our (advance echelon) team of seven arrived July 23rd. They planned for the infrastructure build up and coordinated support agreements with base units," said Tech. Sgt. Glenn Bamba, a 254th RHS logistics technician.

The unit's ten-member sustainment team, which setup and now maintains the facilities, includes equipment operators, structures, utilities, HVAC, heavy equipment and an entomologist, he said. The team had just five days to setup and prepare the entire tent city for hundreds of augmentees coming from dozens of bases and commands around the globe.

"We setup the tents ... made sure the lights were working in the streets, there was electricity in the tents, the washers and dryers worked and the toilets all flushed prior to the augmentees coming in," Bamba said.

This unique group of individuals is capable of rapid response and independent operations in remote, high-threat environments worldwide, officials said. They have the ability to provide heavy repair and construction when requirements exceed traditional civil engineer unit capabilities.