823 RHS returns from Africa deployment Published Oct. 6, 2016 By Senior Airman Jeff Parkinson 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affai HURLBURT FIELD. Fla. -- A team of 75 Airmen with the 823rd RED HORSE Squadron returned here, Oct. 4, 2016, from a deployment to Africa.RED HORSE Airmen spent 90 days constructing a new runway and all associated pavements, facilities and infrastructure. “Doing the base build up includes pretty much everything,” said Capt. Garrett Karnowski, project engineer with the 823rd RHS. “We were able to get the life support area, [fuel] yard and part of the RED HORSE compound up.”The 823rd RHS provides the Air Force with a highly mobile civil engineer response force to support contingency and special operations worldwide. Capable of rapid response and independent operations capable of 30 days self-sufficient in remote, high-threat environments worldwide, they provide heavy repair capability and construction capability when requirements exceed normal civil engineer unit capabilities.“I’m really proud of the work we did,” Karnowski said. “Without equipment on site, we were able to move the project along and achieve 22 percent completion in three months before we left, which is huge.”The 823rd RHS is scheduled to continuously switch out with two other RED HORSE units until the construction is complete.