Tech Orders,

File: aacep_04.txt
Page: 04
Total Pages: 59
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      easy to deploy aircraft to any location, but they needed a place to
      land, refuel' rearm, and take off again. Therefore' the Air Force
      had to take its engineers with them. Prime BEEF demonstrated its
      value during the Vietnam War. Engineers operated and maintained
      all of the bases in Southeast Asia and provided protection for
       aircraft and people by constructing  revetments and shelters.  Since 1964, Prime 
       BEEF has undergone several changes, shifting between
      large multi-skilled teams and small single-skill teams. In 1986
      the teams were reconfigured in 50, 100, 150, and 200 person
      increments. A wing of aircraft deploying to a bare base would
      typically require the support of 200 engineers. A 200-person team
      could be made up of engineer from either a single base or a pair
      of bases. Under the Core unit Type Code (UTC) concept' a Prime
      BEEF team was designated to support a specific aircraft unit. They
      planned and exercised together so they would be familiar with each
      other during wartime or a contlngency.4
      ' The Air Force organized RED HORSE Civil Engineering squadrons'
      known simply as RED HORSE, one year after Prime BEEF. A motile
      heavy repair and construction capability was required to prepare
      bases in Southeast Asia to accept increased missions. A total of
      six 400-person squadrons served in Southeast Asia and Korea in the
      1960. This number had dwindled to three active and two reserve
      units by August 1990. (The 819th, based at RAF Wethersfield, was
      scheduled for deactivation on 1 October 1990. The unit was down to
      a skeleton crew and unavailable at the beginning of Operation
      Desert Shield.) RED HORSE units were trained and equipped to
      perform force beddown' base recovery, and heavy repair. These 400-
      person units have an extensive equipment and vehicle package that
      was both airlift and sealift capable. According to Department of
      Defense Directive 1315.6, the Air Force was given responsibility
      for "Force beddown of Air Force units and weapon systems, excluding
      Army base development responsibilities." Army engineers were
      designated to provide "Assistance to the Air Force in force beddown
      when that requirement exceeds the Air Force organic capability."
      Since 1965' RED HORSE and Palms BEEF have provided that support.5
                 Air Force Services personnel adopted the basic Prime BEEF
      concept for their use in 1978 and created the Prime RIBS (Readiness
      In Base Services) program. Using the mobile team concept' Prime
      RIBS supports worldwide commitments in the areas of food service,
      billeting' laundry' field exchange' and mortuary. The teams are
      configured primarily in nine' eighteen' and twenty-five-person
      UTCs. Since 1978' Prime RIBS teams have deployed around the world
      in support of deployments and exercises. Operation Desert Shield
      was their first wartime deployment. 6
      Air Force E & S personnel have been organizationally linked
      above the base level since 1974. The Air Force recognized that the
      well-being of the people who live and work on air bases was a key
      factor in sortie generation. Caring for their basic needs of food
      and shelter was the responsibility of every commander. Air Force
      E & S personnel operated and maintained bases and provided for the
      people who lived there.
           Prime BEEF and Prime RIBS teams trained both at home station