Table Of ContentIFC - NELLIS AFB 2014
Military Editorial Committee CONTENTS
Information provided by Table of
Nellis Air Force Base
Public Affairs
4430 Grissom Ave., Suite 107 Welcome to Nellis ...................................................................4
Nellis AFB, NV 89191
702-652-2750
Nellis AFB History and Overview .......................................6
PHOTOGRAPHY Creech Air Force Base ............................................................9
ON THE COVER:
U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS Arrival Nellis & Creech .......................................................12
Arrival General Information ...............................................14
Support Services ....................................................................16
Housing ...................................................................................20
Facilities ..................................................................................21
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Published by AQP Publishing Inc., a private firm
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exclusive written contract with Nellis & Creech Air
Force Bases. This civilian enterprise guide is an
authorized publication for members of the military Base Recreation and Sports ................................................36
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the Air Force.
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Life in Southern Nevada .....................................................51
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Nellis & Creech • 2014 Table of Contents
Welcome to Nellis Air Force Base, historically known conjunction with air and ground units of the Army, Navy,
as “Home of the Fighter Pilot.” Nellis is a proud Marine Corps and air forces from allied nations. The crews
member of the U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command. don’t come to learn to fly — instead, they learn to be
It is home to the largest and most demanding advanced the best combat aviators in the world. In the process, the
combat air-training mission in the world. With today’s aircrews go beyond the four-ship formations used at their
missions of air, space and cyberspace, Nellis has proudly home bases to become part of an aerial armada of up to
become the legendary “Home of the Warfighter.” 80 aircraft.
Spend a few days on the ramp and you will see every Nellis sits eight miles northeast of downtown Las Vegas,
combat aircraft in the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps: 293 miles from Los Angeles, 298 miles from Phoenix and
fighters, bombers, helicopters, airlifters and command 288 miles from Grand Canyon National Park. Lake Mead
and control — they’re all here. Nellis provides training for National Recreation Area is less than an hour’s drive away.
composite strike forces that include every type of aircraft The local area has low annual humidity of 20 percent or
in the U.S. Air Force inventory. Training is conducted in less with 310 days of sunshine and annual rainfall of only
4
Welcome to Nellis Nellis & Creech • 2014
4 inches. Summer temperatures average about 106 degrees, with more than 8,000 official visitors annually.
with some days topping 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter Everyone at Nellis plays a vital role in molding aerial
temperatures range from the mid 40s to the upper 60s. forces into the premier air, space and cyberspace force in
High-velocity windstorms and accompanying dust storms the world. The work is hard, the hours are sometimes long
occur occasionally. and the temperatures soar during the summer months.
Because of Nellis’ good year-round flying weather and lo- Nevertheless, Nellis and the Las Vegas Valley are great
cation, it is an ideal place for advanced combat aviation train- places to live and work. This area has some of the best
ing, operational testing and tactics development. The base entertainment and recreation in the world, including
fishing, water sports and places to hike that are only a short
itself covers more than 14,000 acres, and the vast Nevada Test
drive away. Plus, nothing beats the pride of being a member
and Training Range provides 2.9 million acres of restricted
of the busiest air combat base in the Air Force.
land and 15,000 square miles of airspace. The base hosts
10,000 military members and 3,500 civilians. On average,
—Welcome to Nellis!
more than 1,100 temporary-duty personnel visit each day,
5
Nellis & Creech • 2014 Welcome to Nellis
William Harrell Nellis was born March 8, 1916, in
Santa Rita, N.M. He was still a child when his family
relocated to Searchlight, Nev. Nellis lived with his grandmother
for a time in Searchlight, and when not attending school, he
helped her run the Searchlight Hotel. Nellis remained in the
town until he graduated from the eighth grade, then moved
to Las Vegas, where he attended Las Vegas High School. He
graduated in 1936, having rented a room and held a job after
school to pay room and board. In 1939, Nellis married Las Nellis departed the U.S. for overseas duty with the 495th
Vegas native Shirley R. Fletcher. The couple had two children, Replacement Group on May 21, 1944. He was reassigned to
Gary and Joyce. After relocating to Searchlight for a time, the 513th Fighter Squadron two months later, where he par-
the Nellis family returned to Las Vegas where Nellis found a ticipated in 70 aerial combat missions. He was shot down
job with the railroad. That job was enough to keep him out three times. Most of the missions flown by the 513th Fighter
of the Army at the outbreak of World War II. However, after Squadron in 1944 were air-to-ground operations in support
completing some flying lessons and logging eight hours in the of Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army. Due to the unit’s fast ad-
air, Nellis joined the Enlisted Reserve Corps on Dec. 9, 1942. vance through France, the squadron was forced to change
He reported for active duty as an aviation cadet on March 2, airfields constantly, but the constant movement did not ham-
1943, and five months later, completed primary pilot training per its operations: The squadron proved quite effective in the
in Albany, Ga. He was honorably discharged Jan. 6, 1944, and air-interdiction and combat air support role. Nellis was an ac-
accepted an appointment as a flight officer the next day. tive member in those missions, receiving two promotions and
several awards. On Dec. 18, 1944, the Germans launched a
major counteroffensive in the Ardennes Forest area known
as the Battle of the Bulge. Because of bad weather, the 513th
Fighter Squadron was unable to provide air support until Dec.
23. Most of the action occurred within 10 miles of the city of
Bastogne, Belgium. Missions conducted in the area were con-
sidered extremely hazardous. The fighter squadron flew sorties
from dawn to dusk in support of the 101st Airborne Division
until Dec. 29. It was in this environment that Nellis flew his
final combat mission.
On Dec. 27, 1944, Nellis was hit by ground fire while
strafing a German convoy over Luxembourg. His plane burst
into flames and plunged to the ground. Nellis was not seen ex-
iting the aircraft, but his sacrifice was not in vain. The missions
undertaken by the 513th Fighter Squadron saved many lives
and destroyed irreplaceable German armored vehicles, personnel
and supplies.
In April 1949, the Air Force began its Memorial Program to
honor certain individuals who distinguished themselves serv-
ing their country. The Air Force began receiving and evaluat-
ing recommendations for memorializing outstanding deceased
military personalities who distinguished themselves to such an
extent that the nation wished to perpetuate their memory by
naming military air installations in their honor. Local civic or-
ganizations unanimously chose to honor Nellis, and on April
30, 1950, officially renamed Las Vegas Air Force Base as Nellis
Air Force Base. A dedication ceremony to mark the occasion
took place May 20, 1950, with Lt. Nellis’ family in attendance.
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History Nellis & Creech • 2014
Nellis Air Force Base History
In 1929, what would become Nellis AFB was nothing more
than a dirt runway, a water well and a small operations
shack for Western Air Express Airlines. After considering
several areas in Utah, Arizona and Nevada for a site to locate
the “first” American flexible aerial gunnery school, Maj. David
Schlatter of the U.S. Army Air Corps settled on the Nevada
site in October 1940, since about 90 percent of the area north,
northwest and northeast of Las Vegas was desert wasteland.
Three months later, Las Vegas took over the airfield from
Western Air Express and three days later, Mayor John L. Russell
signed over much of the property to the U.S. Army Quarter-
master Corps to develop the flexible gunnery school. Located
on the new Las Vegas Army Air Field, the Las Vegas Army Air
Corps Gunnery School’s mission was defined as “training of
aerial gunners to the degree of proficiency that will qualify
them for combat duty.”
There were many reasons for locating the school near Las
Vegas, which had a population of 9,000:
• Flying weather was ideal year-round;
• More than 90 percent of the land to the north was
unpopulated public domain and available at $1 per acre;
• The inland strategic location was unlikely to be attacked;
• Rocky hills, approximately six miles from the base, afforded
a natural backdrop for cannon and machine-gun firing;
• Dry lake beds were available for emergency landings.
A detachment of five staff officers of the 79th Air Base
Group, commanded by Lt. Col. Martinus Stenseth, took up
residence in a small basement post office in the Las Vegas federal
building in May 1941. A month later, the military population
of LVAAF more than doubled with the arrival of five adminis-
trative noncommissioned officers and other support personnel.
During those first few months, there were no services or
facilities at the new base. Enlisted men were quartered in the
Work Projects Administration barracks in town. The motor
pool consisted of six vintage trucks and a semi-trailer often
parked by the barracks. Supply and logistics had not yet been
organized, and mechanics had to borrow nuts, bolts and old
parts from service stations in Las Vegas, and gasoline and oil
from the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Construction of permanent base facilities began in earnest
in mid-1941 for barracks to house 3,000 people. By December,
there were 10 AT-6 Texan trainers and 17 B-10 Martin bomb-
ers. From this humble beginning, LVAAF grew rapidly. The
first B-17s arrived in 1942, giving students their first chance to
train in the gun turret of an actual combat plane and provid-
ing aircraft to train co-pilots in ground and transition school.
At the height of World War II, 600 gunnery students and 215
copilots graduated from LVAAF every five weeks and more
than 55,000 B-17 enlisted and navigator/bombardier aviation
cadets werw trained as B-17gunners.
In March 1945, the base converted from B-17s to the
B-29 Gunnery School, and the population peaked with nearly
11,000 officers and enlistees logged on unit morning reports.
Of these, more than 4,700 were students.
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Nellis & Creech • 2014 History
As World War II ended, the base converted to the role of Nellis Area I
separating military men and women from the service. During
East of Las Vegas Boulevard, the base’s primary operations
1945 and 1946, thousands of Soldiers received their separation
consist of industrial and administrative facilities; two run-
physicals and final pay at LVAAF on their return to civilian life.
Activities at LVAAF continued to wind down until Feb. 28, ways with ramp space for up to 300 aircraft; recreation and
1947, when it was placed on the inactive list. shopping facilities; single housing and some family housing.
On January 4, 1949, the base was reactivated as Las Vegas
Air Force Base and hosted a pilot training wing and gunnery Nellis Area II
school — the 332d Fighter Group flying the F-47 won the
On the northeast edge of the main base, Area II is home to the
first Gunnery Meet in May 1949. With the onset of the Ko-
58th Rescue Squadron and the 820th RED HORSE Squadron.
rean War, the mission of LVAFB changed from an advanced
single-engine school to one of training jet fighter pilots for the
Nellis Area III
then-Far East Air Forces.
In 1950, LVAFB was renamed in honor of 1st Lt. William
West of the main base, Area III features family hous-
Harrell Nellis, the young man from southern Nevada killed
ing, administrative and industrial areas, as well as the Mike
in action over Luxembourg on Dec. 27, 1944. Virtually every
O’Callaghan Federal Medical Center.
fighter pilot and every “ace” who staked claim to a corner of
Korean air space called “MiG Alley” — establishing a kill ratio
Nevada Test Site
of 14 to 1 — received final combat training at Nellis.
The Nevada National Security Site, previously known as
Nellis Air Force Base Overview the Nevada Test Site, is a U.S. Department of Energy instal-
lation in Nye County, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. It
Nellis, an integral part of the U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat
Command, is the pinnacle of advanced air combat aviation includes support and administrative headquarters at Mercu-
training. The base’s all-encompassing mission is accomplished ry, Nev. The DOE Nevada Operations Office in North Las
through an array of aircraft, including the A-10, F-15C/D, F- Vegas manages all of the nation’s nuclear weapons programs.
15E, F-22A, F-16C/D, HH-60 and most recently, the F-35A The Nevada National Security Site covers approximately
Lightning II. Creech is home to the MQ-1 and MQ-9. Nellis’ 1,350 square miles and includes Yucca and Frenchman flats,
12,000-member military and civilian workforce makes it one Paiute and Rainier mesas and the former Camp Desert Rock
of the largest single employers in southern Nevada.
area, which was used by the Sixth Army in the 1950s to
The base covers more than 14,000 acres, while the total
house troops participating in atmospheric tests at the test
land area occupied by Nellis and the restricted Nevada Test and
site. Yucca Flat, a valley roughly 10 miles wide by 20 miles
Training Range is more than 4,800 square miles. An additional
long, and Paiute Mesa, a rugged 7,500-foot-high area of 166
10,000 square miles of airspace north and east of the restricted
square miles at the northwest corner of the site, were the
range are also available for military flight operations.
main underground test areas.
Our Mission Frenchman Flat is the first dry lake basin north of the
hills beyond Mercury. It was used for all blasts in the Nevada
Today, Nellis continues to provide advanced combat train-
test series in 1951, but since then has been used primarily
ing for composite strike forces, which include every type of
for DOE weapons development tests and DOD military ef-
aircraft in the Air Force inventory. Training is commonly con-
fects tests.
ducted in conjunction with air and ground units of the Army,
Navy, Marine Corps and allied forces from throughout the The Nevada National Security Site employs 1,500 peo-
world. Nellis also conducts operational testing and develops ple, with an additional 2,500 people in test-site-related jobs
tactics. The base also supports combat search and rescue and in North Las Vegas. The DOE also operates the Remote
unmanned aircraft system operations worldwide. Sensing Laboratory on Nellis AFB.
8
History Nellis & Creech • 2014
On June 20, 2005, Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field reporting to the Air Force Special Weapons Center in
officially changed its name to Creech Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M. It became the winter training home to
honor of Gen. Wilbur L. “Bill” Creech. As the commander the USAF Thunderbirds shortly after their move in 1956
of Tactical Air Command from 1978 to 1984, Gen. Creech from Luke AFB, Ariz.
shaped the Air Force of today with a call for new weapons On April 1, 1961, the base transferred to the Tactical Air
and tactics. He revolutionized the Air Force by espousing a Command; On Aril 13, 1964, it was officially redesignated
philosophy of decentralized authority and responsibility. He Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field and aligned under Nellis
was also known as “Father of the Thunderbirds,” the Air AFB. Following the inactivation of Tactical Air Command in
Force’s premier air demonstration squadron.
1992, the base became a component of Air Combat Command.
The airfield that now bears Creech’s name was originally
On May 1, 2007, the 432nd Wing stood up and is now
built by the Army in the early 1940s to support the war effort
home to the MQ-1B Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely
during World War II. A month after the Dec. 7, 1941, attack
piloted aircraft. Along with being home to the 432nd Wing
on Pearl Harbor, the Army began building a training camp
“Hunters,” Creech AFB hosts the operations of the 99th
near the community of Indian Springs, Nev. By the end of
Ground Combat Training Squadron, 556th Test and Evaluation
1942, the service had contracted for regular facilities and by
Squadron, the Air Force Reserve’s 78th Attack Squadron and
the end of February 1943, the base was being used as a divert
91st Attack Squadron and the Nevada Air National Guard’s
field and base for air-to-air gunnery training. The little post
232nd Operations Squadron. The 432nd Wing was designated
was in service supporting B-17s and T-6s until March 1945
an Air Expeditionary Wing in May 2008.
when the Army put the base on stand-by status, maintained
by a small housekeeping staff.
Location
Indian Springs Sub-post had already closed when Las Vegas
Army Air Field inactivated in February 1947. The base reopened Creech AFB is about 45 miles northwest of Nellis AFB,
in January 1949 and the 3596th Installations Squadron was and it takes an hour to drive from Nellis to Creech. Very few
activated Oct. 28,1950. In August 1951, the base became an Airmen assigned to Creech AFB live in the nearby town of
auxiliary field and in July 1952 transferred from Air Training Indian Springs, which has a population of slightly less than
Command to the Air Research and Development Command, 2,000 people. Minimal services are available in Indian Springs.
9
Nellis & Creech • 2014 Creech Air Force Base
Assigned Units forces worldwide. This includes combat command and control,
tactics development, intelligence support, weather support, and
432nd Wing, 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing
standardization and evaluation oversight for the U.S. Air Force
The 432nd Wing, 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing “Hunters” Air Combat Command, Air Forces Central Command, Air
consist of combat-ready Airmen who fly the MQ-1B Predator Force Material Command, Air National Guard, Royal Air Force
and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft to support U.S. and coalition and Air Reserve Command remotely piloted aircraft units.
Warfighters. Assigned Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems provide The group is also responsible for all air traffic control, airfield
real-time reconnaissance, surveillance and precision attack management and weather services for operations at Creech
AFB. The 432nd Operations Group currently oversees global
against fixed and time-critical targets. The Hunters conduct
operations of six squadrons: 11th Reconnaissance Squadron,
RPA initial qualification training for intelligence, weather and
15th Reconnaissance Squadron, 18th Reconnaissance Squadron,
maintenance personnel. The Hunters also conduct launch and
20th Reconnaissance Squadron, 42nd Attack Squadron and the
recovery training for aircrew..
432nd Operations Support Squadron.
The 432nd Wing stood up at Creech AFB May 1, 2007. One
year later, the 432nd Wing also became an Air Expeditionary 732nd Operations Group
Wing due to the increasing requirement for RPA support to
The 732nd Operations Group employs remotely piloted
Overseas Contingency Operations. The 432nd Wing and
aircraft in theaters across the globe year-round. The 732nd
432nd AEW have command and control over more than 3,000
Operations Group also trains and equips forces to provide
active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, government
special capabilities and develops techniques and procedures
civilians and contract personnel in three groups and the wing
with new technology to provide cutting-edge combat support
staff. In addition, the 432nd AEW has operational command
for worldwide operations requiring remotely piloted aircraft.
over more than 1,000 Air National Guard personnel located
The 732nd Operations Group is a total-force unit composed of
in Nevada, California, Arizona, Texas, North Dakota, South
members from both the Nevada Air National Guard and the Air
Dakota, New York and Ohio.
Force Reserves. The 732nd Operations Group oversees global
The wing oversees operations of the 432nd Operations
operations of four squadrons: 17th Reconnaissance Squadron,
Group, 432nd Maintenance Group, 11th Reconnaissance
22nd Reconnaissance Squadron, 30th Reconnaissance
Squadron, 15th Reconnaissance Squadron, 17th Reconnaissance
Squadron and the 867th Reconnaissance Squadron.
Squadron, 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, 30th Reconnaissance
Squadron, 42nd Attack Squadron, 432nd Aircraft Maintenance 432nd Maintenance Group
Squadron, 432nd Maintenance Squadron, 432nd Operations
The 432nd Maintenance Group ensures that Airmen,
Support Squadron, 732nd OG, 20th RS, 22nd RS, 30th RS,
MQ-1B and MQ-9 aircraft, ground control stations, Predator
732nd OG Det. 1 and the 432nd Aircraft Communications
Primary Satellite Links and a global integrated communications
Maintenance Squadron.
network are fully mission-capable to support aircrew training,
combat operations, operational test and evaluation, and natural
432nd Operations Group
disaster support. The 432nd Maintenance Group currently
The 432nd Operations Group employs remotely piloted oversees three squadrons: 432nd Aircraft Maintenance
aircraft in 24/7/365 Combat Air Patrols in support of Squadron, 432nd Maintenance Squadron and the 432nd
combatant commander needs, and deploys combat support Aircraft Communications Maintenance Squadron.
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Creech Air Force Base Nellis & Creech • 2014
Description:Welcome to Nellis Air Force Base, historically known as “Home of the Fighter .
In 1929, what would become Nellis AFB was nothing more than a dirt runway,
