U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet CREECH AIR FORCE BASE On June 20, 2005, Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field officially changed its name to Creech Air Force Base in honor of Gen.Wilbur L. "Bill" Creech. As the commander of Tactical Air Command from 1978 to 1984, General Creech shaped the Air Force of today with a call for new weapons and tactics. He revolutionized the Air Force by espousing a philosophy of decentralized authority and responsibility. He was also known as the "father of the Thunderbirds," the Air Force's premiere air demonstration squadron. The airfield that now bears General Creech's name was originally built by the Army in the early 1940s to support the war effort during World War II. A month after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, the Army began building a training camp near the community of Indian Springs, Nev.  By the end of 1942, the service had contracted for regular facilities and by the end of February 1943 the base was being used as a divert field and base for air-to-air gunnery training. The little post was in service supporting B-17s and T-6s until March 1945 when the Army put the base in stand-by status maintained by a small housekeeping staff.  When Las Vegas Army Air Field inactivated in January 1947, Indian Springs also closed down. The base re-opened in January 1948 and two years later received its first permanently assigned Air Force unit. In August 1951, the base became an auxiliary field and in July 1952 transferred from Air Training Command to the Air Research and Development Command, reporting to the Air Force Special Weapons Center in Albuquerque, N.M. In 1961, the base transferred to the Tactical Air Command. It officially became Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field during the 1980s. Following the inactivation of Tactical Air Command in 1992, the base became a component of Air Combat Command.  On May 1, 2007 the 432d Wing stood up and is now home to the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft systems. Along with being home to the 432d Wing "Hunters," Creech AFB is also home to the Joint Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence, 99th Ground Combat Training Squadron, and 98th Southern Ranges Support Squadron. The 432d Wing was also designated an Air Expeditionary Wing in May 2008. Location Creech AFB is located about 45 miles northwest of Nellis AFB. It takes an hour to drive from Nellis to Creech. Nellis AFB provides daily round-trip shuttle bus service from Nellis to Creech. There is also a park-and-ride facility on US 95 in northwest Las Vegas that serves Creech AFB and the Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site. Very few Airmen assigned to Creech AFB live in the nearby town of Indian Springs, which has a population of about 2,000 people and minimal services. Major Units: 432d Wing The 432d Wing consists of combat-ready Airmen who fly the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft to support American and Coalition warfighters. The unmanned aircraft systems provide real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision attack against fixed and time-critical targets. The Hunters conduct unmanned aircraft system initial qualification training for aircrew, intelligence, weather, and maintenance personnel. The 432d Wing oversees operations of the 432d Operations Group, 432d Maintenance Group, 11th Reconnaissance Squadron, 15th Reconnaissance Squadron, 17th Reconnaissance Squadron, 30th Reconnaissance Squadron, 42d Attack Squadron, 432d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and the 432d Operations Support Squadron. 98th Southern Ranges Support Squadron The 98th Southern Ranges Support Squadron is responsible for the day-to-day support of Creech AFB, Point Bravo logistics site and the Nevada Test and Training Range southern ranges. The squadron supports Airmen assigned to the 432d Wing, 99th Air Base Wing and 98th Range Wing. In addition to fire protection and emergency medical treatment, the squadron also oversees airfield operations and management, civil engineering, food services, lodging, transportation, logistics, communications, and base and range security. It is also responsible for the bed-down and support of all deployments to Creech AFB. 99th Ground Combat Training Squadron The 99th Ground Combat Training Squadron provides warrior skills training for all ACC security forces and combat support elements at Creech AFB. This squadron provides advanced ground combat weapons and tactics instruction that enhance the combat capabilities of U.S. Air Force ground forces essential to sortie generation who are confronted with a potential for combat during hostilities. Joint Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence The Joint Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence (JUAS COE) is a direct reporting unit to the Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), operationally focused on developing joint UAS employment and training standards, providing relevant products, analysis, and information to the joint force. This organization provides support to the joint operator, Services, and Combatant Commands (COCOMs) by facilitating the development and integration of common UAS operating standards, capabilities, concepts, technologies, doctrine, tactics, techniques, procedures, and training. The center was established in June 2005 at Creech AFB by the direction of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) and reached full operational capability in January 2007. The U.S. Air Force is the Executive Agent for the JUAS COE and, in this role, provides administrative, contract, and facility support. 432d Maintenance Group The 432d Maintenance Group ensures Airmen, MQ-1 and MQ-9 aircraft, ground control stations, Predator Primary Satellite Links, and a global integrated communications network are fully mission capable to support aircrew training, combat operations, operational test and evaluation, and natural disaster support. 432d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron The 432d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron provides Predator MQ-1 and Reaper MQ-9 aircraft and equipment in support of worldwide expeditionary operations, USAF Weapons School and Predator formal training unit training, and operational test and evaluation customers. Maintenance expertise is provided by a mixture of contractor and military personnel ensuring worldwide operations are performed without interruption. 432d Maintenance Squadron The mission of the 432d Maintenance Squadron is to perform on- and off-equipment maintenance and maintenance operations services for the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft. The squadron also performs operations services for ground control stations in support of aircrew training and the Global War on Terrorism. Expertise is provided by nine different Air Force specialties, which include education and training, maintenance analysis, scheduling, aerospace ground equipment, fuels systems, aircraft structural maintenance, nondestructive inspection, engines, and munitions systems. 432d Operations Group The 432d Operations Group employs combat-ready UAS and deploys combat support forces worldwide. This includes combat command and control, intelligence support, weather support, and standardization and evaluation oversight for numerous Air National Guard, Royal Air Force, Air Reserve Command, Air Force Material Command and Air Force Special Operations Command UAS units. The Group is also responsible for air traffic control, airfield management, and weather services for UAS operations at Creech AFB, NV. The 432d Operations Group oversees global operations of six squadrons: 11th Reconnaissance Squadron, 15th Reconnaissance Squadron, 17th Reconnaissance Squadron, 30th Reconnaissance Squadron, 42d Attack Squadron, and the 432d Operations Support Squadron. 11th Reconnaissance Squadron The 11th Reconnaissance Squadron is the USAF's first UAS squadron and ACC's third largest Formal Training Unit (FTU). The squadron is manned with experienced instructor pilots, sensor operators, mission intelligence coordinators, support and contract personnel conducting academic, simulator, initial qualification, and upgrade training for MQ-1B Predator aircrew. The FTU trains aircrew to be combat mission ready in strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat search and rescue, and counterland missions for worldwide employment. The squadron provides every aspect of formal training and maintains all syllabi, courseware, and computer based training. The squadron also provides direct support to NORTHCOM in the event of a homeland disaster. 15th Reconnaissance Squadron The 15th Reconnaissance Squadron is one of the first armed UAS squadrons. The squadron provides combatant commanders with persistent ISR, full-motion video, and precision weapons employment. Global operations architecture supports continuous MQ-1 Predator employment providing real-time actionable intelligence, strike, interdiction, close air support, and special missions to deployed war fighters. 17th Reconnaissance Squadron The 17th Reconnaissance Squadron is the USAF's first weaponized and only dual- qualified MQ-1/MQ-9 UAS squadron. The squadron conducts worldwide operations as tasked by senior US government officials using special tactics and capabilities for persistent, real-time reconnaissance, target tracking, and destruction. The 17th RS continuously operates UAS around the globe to collect intelligence and destroy high-value targets in support of national strategy. 30th Reconnaissance Squadron The 30th Reconnaissance Squadron is a flight test squadron based at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada. 42d Attack Squadron The 42d Attack Squadron is the USAF's first MQ-9 Reaper UAS attack squadron. The 42d ATKS operates the medium altitude MQ-9 multi-sensor platform to locate, identify, and destroy enemy positions. The squadron provides combatant commanders with deployable precision engagement capabilities for time critical targets, air interdiction, close air support, strike coordination, and reconnaissance. The 42d ATKS also distributes real-time imagery and combat assessment to theater and national-level leadership. 432d Operations Support Squadron The mission of the 432d Operations Support Squadron is to increase the capability of the 432d Operations Group through leadership in program development. The squadron provides combat and local weather support for five flying squadrons, exercise, airshow and frequency management, as well as manages the 432d Operations Group consolidated commanders support staff and inbound ACC student training flow. The 432d OSS also runs the Air Force's only Intelligence FTU producing more than 60 trained intelligence specialists each year. Point of Contact 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs, 4430 Grissom Ave., Ste 107, Nellis AFB, Nev., 89191; DSN 682-2750, commercial (702) 652-2750, 99abw.pa@nellis.af.mil.