MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Since its beginnings in 1940 as Moody Army Airfield, Army Air Corps and Air Force Airmen have cycled through Moody continuously, being a part of its history but not always having the opportunity to observe it. The flightline, on the other hand, has been witness to everything that has happened since it was built in 1942.
Now, due to a need for an upgrade to one of the oldest sections of the flightline, located in the HH-60G Pave Hawk parking area, the 823rd RED HORSE Squadron stationed out of Hurlburt Field, Fla., is providing their services to replace the pavement.
"We've worked with Moody before and it's great to be back, this time doing something unique," said Master Sgt. Sexton, 823rd RHS project manager. "Although we've done airfield construction work before, this is a project that will be in place for decades after we are gone."
The 27-man team will replace a section of flightline that was laid in 1942, the year Moody first hosted pilots in training.
"It's almost sad that we are taking up this piece of history since it has been here for nearly 70 years," said Lee Walters, 23rd Operations Support Squadron deputy airfield manager. "We've alternately served as a training wing and a fighter wing and there are pilots who trained here but never returned from combat."
The 270 14-inch thick slabs of concrete that have been walked over by a variety of distinguished visitors and aircraft, including the B-17 Flying Fortress and Beechcraft AT-10, are being replaced by a squadron known for their mobile civil engineering services.
Because the 823rd RHS may spend the majority of its time on the road, scheduling the best jobs is important. Moody was chosen partially because of what the project could provide to the troops within the squadron.
"Bases submit the projects they would like us to complete and we then determine how it fits into our schedule and training objectives," said Capt. John Conner, 823rd RHS project engineer. "This year, we have a lot of young Airmen straight out of technical training who are also scheduled to deploy this fall."
"In deployed locations, our mission entails a lot of airfield work, including helping build the first flightline that may be at a new base, so this fits very well into what we are training our troops for," he added.
The team is scheduled to work six-day weeks through September to make sure the two new helicopter parking spots are finished.
"Members from RED HORSE have worked on projects here before and have always done an excellent job," said Master Sgt. Kerry Miller, 23rd OSS airfield manager. "They're some of the hardest-working individuals I know and the projects they complete are professional quality."
The acronym RED HORSE stands for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Repair Squadron Engineers. The first RED HORSE squadrons were formed in 1965 and since then have been self-sufficient, also containing medical, food service, and vehicle and equipment maintenance components.
USAF. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez)