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File: aacep_04.txt4 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
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