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5-5-4 wins award

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Derrick Spencer
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam --  The 554th Red Horse Squadron here was the first Red Horse Squadron to become activated in the Air Force, so it's only right it becomes the first Red Horse Squadron to win the prestigious Robert H. Curtin Award. Named from the former Air Force director of engineering, the award was given to the 160 person squadron for "best small civil engineering unit in the Air Force."

The competition for the award is based on what type of impact a unit has on its home station, deployed locations and its community involvement.

"It's very special to me to see a Red Horse unit win this award, especially one that is so involved not only in their home unit set-up, but the set-up of three other units," said Lt. Col. Anthony Davit, 554th Red Horse Squadron Commander.

Reigning as Pacific Air Force's number one construction force, the 554th Red Horse has won the "best of" award at them major command level for the past three years. The added prestige of this year's Air Force level award is most likely due to the fact that last year the 554th deployed outside U.S. Pacific Command's theater for the first time in over 35 years.

Another reason the 554thh was singled out from its competitors this year is its $218 million project on Andersen's historic Northwest field, the Pacific Air Forces Regional Training Center. The PRTC compound will be used for contingency war-time training for Security Forces, Services, and Civil Engineering Airmen from across the Pacific.

Proving you can do more with less, with a command that has about half the manpower allocation of an average active duty Red Horse unit, Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Davit remained humbled when his unit was named "Best in the Air Force."

"The 554th Red Horse Squadron couldn't have won this [Robert H.] Curtin Award without all the men and women of the 554th," said Lt. Col. Davit. "The 554th has a great legacy, and we continue to build on that great legacy to ever improve the 5-5-4!"