Well, in my younger days after a couple of beers at the end of a long workweek at the local watering hole, it was a fine appearance, but with us rowdy bunch, I would hesitate to say “good”.
So, I was a 1LT when I got to the HORSE, and can’t speak to direct enlistments this year–a lot has changed (mostly for the better). At the time, IIRC, there was a dearth of AF Civil Engineers, and the enlistment/re-enlistment bonuses for the 3EXXX-series AFSCs. 3E7X1 (Fire Department) and 3E8X1 (EOD) weren’t attached to RED HORSE units, but had some pretty high re-enlistment bonuses due to the low manning/high OPSTEMPO. That, and the Air Force is looking to expand in 2018. There’s still a stressed need for AF Civil Engineers, and signing up for a particular career field is a different path than a Base of Preference (BOP) program, which could line you up with a geographical area to get you into a HORSE.
There are three active duty RED HORSE Squadrons: the 819th at Malmstrom AFB, MT, the 820th at Nellis AFB, NV, and the 823rd at Hurlburt Field, FL. There are a smattering of Reserve RED HORSE squadrons, and they are usually attached to active duty ones. Here’s a quick list. Again, recollecting individual unit assignments, that’s on a “mission needs first” basis, meaning the first-need gets filled first.
The only prerequisites I know of are to have a decent ASVAB score, and be willing to deploy. . . a lot. I know of PLENTY of Airmen who were able to parlay their Air Force-learned engineering skills to the outside world. In my opinion, the Civil Engineer career fields are one of the most successful military skillsets to be applicable in the outside world (as opposed to other ‘purely military’ skillsets like Security Forces, Intelligence, or Combat Shoe-Clerking).
So to answer your question, I think it’s twofold: 1) Enlisting under a ‘guaranteed contract’ of an AFSC; and 2) Working the Base of Preference program.
Tripler
The only hard fact I can provide: “Speak with a recruiter, and don’t sign a thing until you get what you want.”