An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

RED HORSE Airmen close chapter with Iraqis

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Trish Freeland
  • United States Air Forces Central- Baghdad
HAWR RAJAB, Iraq --  Airmen with the 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron closed a chapter in their history as the commander and key workers witnessed the ribbon cutting ceremony for a community center here Dec. 5. Through a program called Village of Hope, rapid engineer deployable heavy operational repair squadron engineer Airmen taught Iraqi citizens the basics of construction.

Over a 10-month period, RED HORSE teams conducted training on basic construction, plumbing and electrical skills. Their efforts yielded four remodeled houses, a community center, a school for boys and 181 graduates from the course.

"This was a great opportunity to interact with the Iraqi people in a positive way while providing valuable training they can use in the future," said Col. Wilfred Cassidy, 557th ERHS commander.

The Village of Hope program was created by Multi-National Corps-Iraq and targeted former members of the Sons of Iraq, Iraqi fighters who agreed to lay down their weapons and join forces with the U.S. to defeat their common enemy--AQI. The goal of the program was not only to teach construction, but to help citizens rebuild their community, while giving them additional skills for potential future employment.

Master Sgt. Kyle Wiggins, noncommissioned officer in charge of engineering support, had the complex task of ensuring the project was done correctly and on time.

"I had to make certain every action was within the terms of the Village of Hope contract to protect the interests of the government and those of the contractors."

Sergeant Wiggins and Staff Sgt. Christopher Davis, the contracting officer representative for the Village of Hope program, kept the projects on track by conducting weekly inspections to ensure contractors were completed scheduled work on time and according to standards. They also oversaw monthly paydays for the student workers. Although he was the junior member of the team, Sergeant Davis expertly managed the project and actively engaged Iraqi sheiks and other key leaders while the project was underway.

"Sergeant Davis played an important role in maintaining a harmonious relationship with the contractor, property owners and community representatives," said Sergeant Wiggins. "He also attended to personnel issues for our civilian counterparts."

"I got to work side by side, and teach local men who are building a new, better Iraq for themselves," said Sergeant Davis, a Hamilton, Mo., native. "This will forever be a high point in my career."

Both Sergeants Wiggins and Davis are deployed from the 820th RED HORSE Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.