Obverse Design

The central device is a large white shield. The shield has a red horse head on a black base, which looks somewhat like the Knight piece in Chess. To the right of the horse head is a yellow lightning bolt. Across the top of the shield and extending beyond the shield to either side is a curved legend which says "RED HORSE" in black letters. There is a red border on the shield above and below the letters.

To the left of the shield it says "1965" in red letters. To the right of the shield it says "2000" in red letters. Curving along the bottom edge of the medal in red letters is the motto "CAN DO WILL DO". The background of the coin is textured and silver in color. The medal has a raised braided edge. This type of rim is known as a "Twist Diamond cut edge."
Reverse Design

The reverse side of the medal bears a large map of the world. The continents are colored white and the sea and background of the medal is blue. Horizontally across the top of the medal and the map is the legend "35 YEARS" in red letters. Curving along the bottom edge of the medal is the legend "HAVE DONE" in red letters. Scattered around the map in silver letters are the names and dates of operations in which the RED HORSE program has played a part. At the top center it says "Kosovo" and "99". Next along the top it says "Grenada" and "84", "Panama" and "89" and "Bosnia" and "95". In the middle to the left it says "Vietnam" and "65-74". To the right it says "Gulf War" and "90-91". Near the bottom going across it says "Somalia" and "93", "Disaster" and "Relief" and "Haiti" and "94". The medal has a raised braided edge. This type of rim is known as a "Twist Diamond cut edge."

Metal Unknown metal. Weight Unknown. Size and Shape Round, 50 mm in diameter.
Dates Issued 2000.
Issuer Air Force Red Horse program.
Mintage Unknown.
Rarity Scarce. Manufacturer Unknown. Source Plowman Collection.
Varieties None known.
Historical Note RED HORSE is an acronym for Rapid Engineer Deployable -- Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer. RED HORSE is an Air Force program started in 1965. The RED HORSE objective is to provide a combat ready engineering force for immediate world wide deployment, which can perform heavy repairs and upgrade airfields and facilities, and support weapon systems deployed to a theater of operations. The challenge coin commemorates the role of the RED HORSE program in various wars and operations between 1965 and 2000. I have been unable to identify which unit was the RED HORSE unit or units in Panama in 1989.