203rd RED HORSE honors 20th anniversary of fatal crash

Airmen from the 192nd Wing’s 203rd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) came together March 3, 2021, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of what’s known as the worst peacetime aviation disaster in National Guard history and the worst loss of life in the Virginia National Guard since World War II.

Family members, friends and former members of the 203rd RED HORSE also attended to gather around a dedicated memorial site for the 18 Virginia Air National Guard engineers and three Florida National Guard aviators who were killed when their plane crashed near Unadilla, Georgia, on March 3, 2001.

This is the first memorial ceremony the 203rd RED HORSE has hosted since 2016 — past ceremonies were held annually. In keeping with tradition, Col. Stock Dinsmore, 192nd Mission Support Group commander, officiated the event as he had in years past. Dinsmore was a member of the 203rd RED HORSE for more than 21 years and served more than four years as the squadron’s commander.

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Airmen, family, friends and former members of the 203rd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers gather for a memorial ceremony March 3, 2021, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.