RED HORSE construction improves Nellis flight line operations

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kevin Tanenbaum
  • 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

The 820th RED HORSE Squadron completed five months of construction Oct. 25 on the flight line making Nellis Air Force Base flying operations more efficient.

 

With this construction completed both runways are able to be open longer, with less aircraft holding times before takeoff, according to Tech. Sgt. Kyle Spade, project manager assigned to the 820th RHS.

 

“This project makes for more functional, efficient runway operations,” said Master Sgt. Brad Franklin, NCO-in-charge of the Power Production Shop assigned to the 820th RHS. “This project will save 190 hours per year in runway downtime due to barrier resets, $323,000 per year in jet fuel costs, over 1,500 firefighter man hours and reduce fire truck wear and tear,”

 

The leadership of the RHS was instrumental in the completion of this immense project.

 

“The skill and leadership of the project NCO's have made this project a success, and have achieved the impossible with completing a two-system install in five months,” said Franklin.

 

“Over six months of planning, design and contract awards went into the initial push of this project,” said Spade. “Multiple coordination meetings with the 57th Operations Support Squadron and 99th Civil Engineer Squadron advocating for time and logistics were required to make this project successful.”

 

Not only did this vast overhaul take the combination of multiple squadrons on base working hand-in-hand, but it also took sacrifice from the 820th Airmen who worked on the site.

 

“From May until end of August, the team was worked 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday nights,” said Spade. “Then from the end of August through October, we changed to Monday-Friday 4 a.m to 1 p.m. and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sacrifice of our 820th RHS Airmen who have put in long work days including through all holiday and family days throughout this whole project to ensure its successful completion. It was lot of heavy equipment, and a lot of demanding work.”