Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers RED HORSE ( Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers ) squadrons are the United States Air Force ' s heavy - construction units . Their capabilities are similar to those of the U . S . Navy Seabees and U . S . Army heavy - construction organizations . About . In the Vietnam War , Air Force " Prime BEEF " ( " Base Engineer Emergency Force " ) teams filled a need for short - term construction capabilities . However , the Air Force needed a stable and longer - term heavy - repair capability . The response was to organize two , 400 - man ( 12 officers and 388 airmen ) heavy - repair squadrons . RED HORSE units activated in 1966 when Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara asked the Air Force to develop its own combat construction team . RED HORSE squadrons provide the Air Force with a highly mobile civil engineering response force to support contingency and special operations worldwide . Units are self - sufficient , 404 - person mobile squadrons , capable of rapid response and independent operations in remote , high - threat environments worldwide . They provide heavy - repair capability and construction support when requirements exceed normal base civil engineer ( Prime BEEF ) capabilities and where U . S . Army engineer support is not readily available . RED HORSE units possess weapons , vehicles / equipment and vehicle maintenance , food service , emergency management , contracting , supply and medical equipment and personnel . RED HORSE ' s major wartime responsibility is to provide a highly mobile , rapidly deployable , civil engineering response force that is self - sufficient to perform heavy damage repair required for recovery of critical Air Force facilities and utility systems , and aircraft launch and recovery . In addition , it accomplishes engineer support for beddown of weapon systems required to initiate and sustain operations in an austere bare - base environment , including remote hostile locations , or locations in a chemical , biological , radiological , nuclear and high - yield explosives ( CBRNE ) prone environment . The primary RED HORSE tasking in peacetime is to train for contingency and wartime operations . It participates regularly in Joint Chiefs of Staff and major command exercises , military operations other than war , and civic action program s . RED HORSE performs training projects that assist base construction efforts while , at the same time , honing wartime skills . Air Force RED HORSE units possess special capabilities , such as water - well drilling , explosive demolition , aircraft arresting system installation , quarry operations , concrete mobile operations , material testing , expedient facility erection , and concrete and asphalt paving . To support the " Open the Airbase " mission , RED HORSE added an Airborne capability in 2005 . With this capability , RED HORSE can rapidly deliver small specialized teams and equipment packages by airdrop or air insertion to conduct expedient airfield repairs . The only unit to have parachute - inserted troops ( Airborne ) is the 820th RED HORSE . Additionally , in 2004 , the 554th established an Airborne capability known as the 554th RHS Assault , Assessment , and Repair Operations ( AARO , pronounced “ arrow ” ) team to provide a rapid airfield seizure and repair capability for the Pacific theater . Units . There are four active - duty , six Air Force Reserve Command , and five Air National Guard RED HORSE squadrons : The 1st Expeditionary RED HORSE Group ( inactivated ) was in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility ( AOR ) . The 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron is now located in the USCENTCOM AOR , and is part of the 1st Expeditionary Civil Engineering Group that also consists of two Prime BEEF Squadrons . Air Force Reserve : Air National Guard : The Air National Guard squadrons are split units with separate commanders . When mobilized ( excluding the 219th and 254th ) , these units come together as one squadron .