Airmen
of the 809th Expeditionary RED HORSE are changing bare-bones Forward Operating Base Dwyer in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand Province into a hub for increased combat operations and medical evacuations. RED HORSE members “have run a six-month marathon to get construction underway,” said Capt. Vincent Rea, the detachment’s OIC. They first created a 200-foot by 2,000-foot helipad for Cobra gunships and Huey medical evacuation helicopters and then an assault landing strip to accommodate C-130s. To complete the 4,300-foot airstrip, the airmen worked with a 12-man Marine Corps team. The RED HORSE team also will set the foundation for a concrete airstrip, a 8,600-foot by 120-foot project that must “be done with extreme precision and meet strict code specifications” to hold up under a fully loaded C-17, said TSgt. Chad Lepley, pavements and construction equipment craftsman. (FOB Dwyer report by SSgt. Stacia Zachary)
DOD Eases Mask Rules to Follow New CDC Guidance
May 14, 2021
The Defense Department will no longer require fully vaccinated personnel to wear masks at DOD facilities. The guidance applies to all those who are two weeks beyond their final dose, both inside and outside, according to a May 13 memo from Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks. The memo…