Tech Orders,

File: aacep_33.txt
Page: 33
Total Pages: 59
     





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      most A1r Force firefighters simply responded to USAGE aircraft
      incidents and called upon the host nation if needed. USAF
      firefighters lacked confidence in the capabllltles of the host
      nation firefighters.
      Like the other combat support functions at the sites'
      co_ unlcatlons was a ccltlcal factor in the early weeks of the
      deployment for flreflghters. Many flreflghter~, for several
      reasons, did not bring their own radios. Some expected the
      prepositioned vehicles to have radios or that another team would
      bring them. Firefighters arrived at the sites and could not talk
      to each other' the host nation firefighter the command post, the
      tower, or the station. Even when firefighters did bring hand-held
      radios, they inevitably were either not powerful enough or set on
      the same frequency as the host nation system. It was not until
      November' when the programmable radios arrived at the sites that
      the communications shortfalls were remedied.
     
      Phase II Bulldup.
                                         ^
      In November' President Bush ordered additional forces to the
      Persian Gulf region to provide an offensive capability. The Air
      Force expanded its force at several existing bases with the
      addition of more planes and people. Then many of the sites were
      stretched to their maximum capacity, General Homer decided he
      needed more bases for American forces. For Engineerlng and
      Services, this meant another push to beddown deploying forces
      This time' however' E & S personnel would be in place before the
      additional forces arclved. Also' the presence of RED HORSE in
      theater to undertake major beddown tasks smoothed the process.
      Nearly every existing base prepared for additional forces.
      Engineers who had planned their tent cities for future expansion
      were rewarded for their foresight. At Al Dhafra, an additional 500
      people and several aircraft arrived from Hahn in December and
      January. The engineers simply constructed three additional blocks
      of tents, connected them to the power lines, and erected more bath
      houses in tent city. On the operational side, the engineers
      assembled an al~craft maintenance banger and a general purpose
      shelter. The Heavy Repair branob bad just completed forty berms
      for a weapons storage area when the request came down for twenty-
      four more to store the armament for the additional aircraft.^
      RED HORSE engineers worked at several sites to assist in the
      Phase II buildup. Personnel from the S2Otb RED HORSE squadron from
      Nellis A[B, Nevada, augmented the 823d in November. Ibe combined
      unit tackled the larger or heavier jobs at the Gltes such as
      parking Ramps and taxiways Two of tbeir larger expansion tasks
      were at Shaikh Isa AB' Bahrain' and Al Minbad AB, UAE. The SbaiRb
      Isa project called for constructing two concrete handstands, 550 by
      204 feet and 450 by 240 feet with aircraft grounds' laying 100-foot
      wide asphalt taxitracks around each bandstand' tying taxitracks
      into the main taxiway, and constructing a 100 by 3,200 foot asphalt
      taxiway running parallel to the northern side of the existing south