Nellis, Creech, NTTR engaged worldwide since 9/11 Published Sept. 9, 2011 By Charles Ramey Nellis Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- On Sept. 11, 2001, I sat in the Nellis Command Post as we secured the base, shut down all non-essential operations and prepared to defend the Installation and local community from the unknown. In the days and weeks afterwards, our Nation's sight picture emerged and America's military was called into action to fight a new enemy. Starting from Day One of combat operations, Airmen assigned to Nellis, Creech and the Nevada Test and Training Range have been engaged and played a major role in training, equipping and providing forces in support of military operations. Members from the Installation were among the first deployed in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, and over the past decade, we have supported more than 15,000 deployment taskings and moved over 81.4 million pounds of cargo in support of operations worldwide. On any given day, 800-1,000 Airmen stationed in Southern Nevada are deployed around the globe providing operational, logistics, medical, security and a wide-variety of other functions to support to counter-insurgency, humanitarian and disaster relief operations. Whether it has been leading convoys, providing air base defense, saving the wounded, defusing explosive devices or supplying critical close air support, the Installation's Airmen have had boots on the ground and touched every facet of combat operations. Our warriors, some wounded and lost in action, have been recognized for valor and gallantry on the battlefield. Unfortunately, we know the cost of war personally as six locally assigned Airmen have paid the ultimate sacrifice while defending our nation. As the home of the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, the Installation has also been engaged providing testing, tactics and training necessary to sustain combat operations. Although it's impossible to recognize every accomplishment, here are just a few of the many Installation highlights over the past decade: Red Flag/Green Flag: Since 9/11, the 57th Wing has conducted 33 Red Flag exercises and trained 70,300 personnel. The wing has also prepared aircrews for air-land integration and close air support operations in support of today's fight by executing more than 200 Green Flag exercises in conjunction with the U.S. Army. Green Flag has trained 25,000 aircrew, intelligence and maintenance members; 6,000 Battlefield Airmen, 400 Ground Liaison Officers and directly supported more than 1 million ground personnel preparing to deploy in support of combat operations. USAF Weapons School: Since 9/11, the school has graduated more than 1,600 students who have a sharpened the knowledge of joint integration across all Air Force domains and spectrums and taken those skills along with the latest tactics, techniques and procedures back to frontline units for incorporation into support of worldwide combat operations. As the Air Force has evolved, so has the weapons school and since 9/11, personnel assigned to C-17, KC-135, MQ-1 and MQ-9, C-130, F-22, ISWIC, ICBM, B-2 operations have been incorporated into the program. The 6th Combat Training Squadron: Since 9/11, more than 7,700 joint and coalition members have graduated from the Air Ground Operations School. That number includes more than 850 air liaison officers, 1,300 Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, and 3,100 U.S. Army Joint Fires Observers. These individuals have been embedded with combat units worldwide providing the critical link between ground forces and aircrews providing close air support. 99th Ground Combat Training Squadron: Since 9/11, the 99 GCTS has trained more than 22,000 Security Forces personnel deploying worldwide in support of contingency operations. GCTS training has evolved tremendously ensuring that air base ground defenders are better organized, trained and equipped to handle a wide variety of complex threats both inside and outside the wire in any theater of operations. Nevada Test and Training Range: The NTTR has made significant changes since 9/11 to provide the world's best training environment for the current Warfighter based on new and emerging threats around the world. The facility has made significant changes to its target sets including the addition of an Urban Operations Complex to simulate current theater operations and outside the wire operations. The NTTR has also added numerous targets and a dynamic targeting system to enhance tracking and targeting of moving vehicles in convoys while improving their capability to replicate a myriad of realistic threats and degraded operation scenarios. 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. On May 1, 2007, Creech AFB became the home to the 432d Wing "Hunters" and is also the home of the 99th Ground Combat Training Squadron. The Hunters consists of combat-ready Airmen who fly remotely piloted aircraft in direct support of joint forces around the globe. Ever since the 432d Wing first stood up in 2007, Hunters have continued their mission of saving lives - both American and coalition - while meeting the increasing needs of every Airmen, Soldier, Sailor or Marine who fights the insurgent threat. Operational Testing: Nellis, Creech and the NTTR have always remained on the cutting edge of operational testing providing warfighters with the latest in software, hardware, weapons and tactics techniques and procedures. Several new technologies such thermobaric cave-busting bombs and the addition of hellfire missiles to remotely piloted aircraft were first tested at the Installation to win America's wars. The tactics and playbooks for operational units to employ the new weapons system in combat are also written here locally. In January 2003, the Nellis received its first F-22 Raptor. The face of Nellis, Creech and the NTTR has changed and evolved tremendously over the past decade and the Installation has been responsible for keeping America on the cutting-edge of combat. As we learned on 9/11, we never know when or where the next conflict may occur. However, we can take comfort in knowing that our Installation will continue to ensure we're ready to answer our nation's call.
