Airmen improve base in Iraq

  • Published
  • By Army Sgt. Frank Vaughn
  • American Forces Press Service
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq (AFNS) --  Airmen of the 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron are changing the landscape of Contingency Operating Base Basra rapidly. 

Some buildings already have been built by engineering specialists from 76 bases throughout the United States have improved the operational capability of Multinational Division South, with other buildings planned for the near future. 

"We have multiple skills from multiple bases," said Master Sgt. Barry Snyder Jr., deployed with the 819th RED HORSE Squadron from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. "We have 11 specialties on our team, including heavy equipment operators, pest management, plumbers, power production, [vertical construction] and logistics."

The team already constructed a 30,000-square-foot headquarters building here for the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Sergeant Snyder, the acting first sergeant for the squadron, said his team is especially proud of the new headquarters building.

"We put a lot of work into that building to make it functional for those guys," he said.

Sergeant Snyder credited his troops and their leaders for the success of the RED HORSE mission so far.

"These guys are phenomenal," he said. "They work hard and make me proud to be a RED HORSE. Leadership over here has also been outstanding in keeping everyone focused on our goals."

Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Ratliff, a carpenter with the squadron, said staying focused has been fairly easy under the circumstances.

"I love this job," said Sergeant Ratliff, a native of Lexington Park, Md. "We get to the job site at 7 a.m., get our materials together and discuss what we're going to do for the day. Then we get to work. I love seeing the contributions we've made to this place when the projects are completed."

Sergeant Ratliff said the squadron's members have come together as a team since the beginning of the deployment.

"We all mesh together pretty good," he said. "We're not all from the same station, but it's good to meet new people."

The RED HORSE members currently are working on a hall for the Red Bull Band. The building, located near the recently completed mail-sorting facility, will house office space and room for band rehearsals, said Sergeant Ratliff, who is serving his fourth deployment. Future projects include a post chapel.