Creech Air Force Base
Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field
The Air Force approved renaming Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Airfield to Creech Air Force Base in honor of General W.L. "Bill" Creech. General Creech revolutionized the Air Force by advocating a philosophy of decentralized authority and responsibility, and shaped today's Air Force through his leadership as the commander of Tactical Air Command. No single officer has had greater influence on the Air Force in recent times than General Bill Creech. He transformed the way the Air Force conducts warfare. He was a war hero of Korea and Vietnam who improved the tactics that have led to successes in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Iraq.
The airfield, originally built by the Army in the early 1940s to support the war effort, was renamed for the nearby community of Indian Springs, Nev. in 1964. It is currently home to the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battle Lab, 11th Reconnaissance Squadron, and Silver Flag Alpha. A ceremony officially renaming the airfield took place on 20 June 2005 at Creech Air Force Base.
The 99th Range Squadron commands two detachments: Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, which manages Nellis' Southern Ranges, and Tonopah Test Range Airfield, which manages Nellis' Northern Ranges. The 2,300 acre Indian Springs Auxiliary Field is near Nye County’ s eastern boundary with Clark County.
The 11th and 15th reconnaissance squadrons, Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nev., currently operate the RQ-1A/B. The Predator system was designed in response to a Department of Defense requirement to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information to the warfighter. It was the first successful advanced concept technology demonstration to transition to production and fielding. This is a new acquisition process designed to reduce costs and development time by relying on commercial off-the-shelf technology to the maximum extent possible. In April 1996, the Secretary of Defense selected the U. S. Air Force as the operating service for the RQ-1A Predator system. The 11th RS received its first two Predator UAVs in November 1996.
The Army Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District used the "One Door to the Corps" concept by partnering with Sacramento and Los Angeles districts for work a Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Air Field. The design work was "brokered" to Albuquerque after Sacramento completed about 35 percent of the design. Albuquerque completed the design and advertised the project; Sacramento District provided technical review and support; and Los Angeles District furnished project management, opened bids, and will award and administer the contract. It was the first time in South Pacific Division history that the talents of three districts came together on a single project. Indian Springs encompassed $15.6 million in design work to support the "beddown" of 44 as Medium Altitude Endurance (MAE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. UAV are robot aircraft used to scout over a variety of terrain. ACC is using Indian Springs, which is serviced by Nellis Air Force Base, to locate the aircraft.
More than 100 Air Combat Command security forces people begin Contending Warrior '97 on 02 August 1997 at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field. The annual competition, held since the command stood up in 1992, challenges competitors from ACC bases in three major areas: physical fitness, force protection and weapons capability. The event encourages base competition and practice aimed at developing and improving combat, marksmanship, tactical and professional skills. It also provides a means for evaluating home station training in support of routine and contingency operations. Participants' physical fitness is put to the test during an obstacle course consisting of confidence and maneuverability challenges. The force protection part of the competition challenges team members' abilities to apply combat tactics skills in realistic scenarios, similar to those they would experience in a real-world environment. The weapons competition involves participants shooting the 9 mm handgun, M-16 rifle, M-60 machine gun and M-203 grenade launcher. At the conclusion of the six-day competition, nine participants -- eight primary and one alternate -- are selected to represent ACC at Peacekeeper Challenge, the world-wide security forces competition at Kirtland Air Force Base, NM.
Located two and one-half miles west of Indian Springs U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Field, the Nellis Air Force Range Area F has a variety of terrain features. The features range from valley floors on the north and south side to a mountain range extending east to west. The southern edge of the range runs parallel with U.S. Highway 95 for approximately 14 miles. Access to the area is difficult because the U.S. Air Force owns a half mile strip of land between the area and the former range. This area is fenced the entire length of the strip. The northern border of the area is along the still active Nellis Air Force range and the western side borders Department of Energy property.
The Nellis Air Force Range, Area F, was part of a much larger range complex first established in 1942. At its peak, the U.S. Air Force controlled more than 4,735,922 acres. Between its inception and 1976, the USAF. disposed of 1,644,026.56 acres. Area F is a portion of this land accounting for 47,481.50 acres. While the Nellis AF Range complex was used extensively for training pilots and aircrews in aerial bombing and gunnery, air-to-air combat, air-to-ground, weapons testing, tactical navigation, aerial maneuvers, and simulated electronic threat training, no target area or ordnance-related usage was located within Area F. The northeast corner of the area is within airspace of a designated close air support range two and one half miles north of Area F. In 1976, the USAF relinquished primary control of what is now Area F to the Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This land is now part of the Desert National Wildlife Reserve.
