Red Horse group off to Grenada

Sixty-eight airmen of the Nellis 820th Civil Engineering Squadron, known as the Red Horse Squadron, deployed last week to St. George's, Grenada. The airmen will join Marine Corps engineers and support personnel from the Army and Navy to build a two-story school, a community center and a 60-person barracks for the local community.

The deployment is part of a multiservice readiness and humanitarian service mission called New Horizons 2000.

Sailor aboard assault ship

Navy officials in San Diego report that Timothy Dingman, the son of Kenneth and Christen Dingman of Las Vegas, is playing a vital role as an operations specialist onboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa. The 21-year-old seaman uses radar in the tracking and identification of ships and aircraft.

"I make sure that no other vessels become a threat to (the Tarawa) by tracking and reporting their course and speed," Dingman said.

The USS Tarawa is a San Diego-based ship designed to put Marines on hostile shores. Equipped with 35 attack jets, helicopters and 3,000 personnel, the Tarawa is capable of evacuating U.S. citizens from hostile environments, conducting humanitarian and peacekeeping missions and waging war.

Currently the Tarawa is conducting training off the coast of Southern California in preparation for its upcoming six-month deployment to the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and western Pacific Ocean.

College loan repayment

For the first time the Air Force is offering eligible recruits up to $10,000 toward repaying their college loans.

Recruits with unpaid college loans who agree to enter the Air Force in any career field can get the loan repayment money in addition to a $5,000 enlistment bonus for specific career fields.

For more information on either program, call (800) 423-8723.

In brief

Dick Benoit covers individual and unit accomplishments of Southern Nevadans serving in the active duty and reserve armed forces. He can be reached at (702) 641-8664 or by e-mail at [email protected].

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