After World War I, Nevada and other western inland states were surveyed by Capt. Lowell H. Smith and Sgt. William B. Whitefield for landing sites.[6] The United States Army Air Corps subsequently rented a large room in Reno,[6] and used the 1929 civilian airfield near Las Vegas (named "McCarran Field" c. 1935) for 1930s training flights.[7] A 1939 "western site board" reconnaissance was conducted near Tonopah for a practice range and in October 1940, Maj. David Schlatter surveyed the southwest United States for a military airfield[8] (Executive Order 8578[9] transferred a "60 × 90-mile area at Tonopah to the War Department on 29 October 1940".)[7] Congressional appropriations of 19 November 1941 for the Commissioner of Public Roads to build "21 flight strips" along highways for "bombing ranges or for other specialized training" included inland airstrips.[7]: 87 "Initially a "tent city" military training camp", construction of "Indian Springs Airport" permanent facilities began in March 1942, "and by February 1943 the camp was used as a divert field and as a base for air-to-air gunnery training."[3]
Ten protesters were arrested at Creech Air Force Base on 2 October 2019. The base is home to drone operators who pilot drones for both the U.S. military and the CIA in missions across Afghanistan and the Middle East. A week earlier, drones had killed 30 civilian farmers in Afghanistan.[10]
The Nevada World War II Army Airfield at Indian Springs hosted B-17 Flying Fortress and T-6 Texan aircraft. Five Indian Springs Auxiliary Army Airfields were developed at the bombing range. Area 18 had an auxiliary field at Auxiliary Field#4, and Area 51 had an auxiliary field Auxiliary Field #1. In March 1945, Indian Springs AAF was placed on stand-by with a small housekeeping staff, and in January 1947, it was closed along with Las Vegas AAF. The Army reopened Indian Springs in January 1948[who?] and in 1950, the first US Air Force unit[which?] was assigned to the installation.[3]
Undetermined, area used in the 1950s for nuclear weapons testing.
Indian Springs Air Force Base
Indian Springs Air Force Base was designated in August 1951, and in July 1952, jurisdiction transferred from Air Training Command[11] to the Air Force Special Weapons Center (AFSWC) of Air Research and Development Command (ARDC). As an AFSWC facility,[12] "Indian Springs AFB served as a support base for projects from Operation Ranger in 1951 to Operation Storax in 1962."[13] "The 4935th Air Base Squadron was activated to operate the base in accordance with ARDC General Order No. 39 on 16 July 1952".[12] The base's mission was to support United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) nuclear testing at the Nevada Proving Grounds, 30 mi (48 km) northwest, as well as Nellis AFB's operation of the Nellis Air Force Gunnery and Bombing Range. "At first fewer than 300 officers and enlisted men were stationed at Indian Springs AFB, but when testing began, the population grew to more than 1,500 personnel. The base also hosted more than 100 of the most modern aircraft in the world at the time."[14]
Indian Springs' support of Teapot nuclear tests included hosting media visits and "Official and Congressional Observer groups" e.g., "by agreement reached in January 1955" for flights from Washington. Aircrews at Indian Springs were briefed on weather for tests and when the "Yucca Lake airstrip" became flooded, "nuclear devices" were instead landed at the AFB until Yucca Lake "was completely dried out". AFSWC personnel at Indian Springs AFB provided "facilities and messing for observers and experimental groups, air freight terminal services, servicing for Department of Defense and project vehicles stationed at Indian Springs AFB and transient vehicles", and support of flights between Kirtland and Indian Springs.[15] (The 4925th Special Weapons Group conducted the "live test drops at Nevada" and flew through and sampled "highly radioactive nuclear "clouds" after explosions"[16]—the 4926th Test Squadron (Sampling)[where?] also tested Nevada mushroom clouds.[17])
The Air Base Squadron transferred under the 4950th Test Group (Nuclear) in 1956, the base launched the Shot John F-89J that fired the MB-1 Genie which detonated over Area 10,[18] and AFSWC jurisdiction at Indian Springs AFB "continued until 1961".[13]: 122
Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field
Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field was designated on 1 April 1961 when "the USAF transferred Indian Springs AFB missions to Nellis AFB under the control of" Tactical Air Command.[19][20]
Det 1, AFSWC
Detachment 1, AFSWC had all six aircraft stationed at Indian Springs c. 1963 to support the Nevada Test Site by transporting personnel to/from Camp Mercury and Yucca Flats and to orbit/hover over selected underground tests while monitoring for radiation leaks. Ancillary missions were carried out including target marking at the nearby bombing range for the aircraft from Nellis AFB as well as searching for and retrieving weather balloons. In 1966, the unit replaced two Kaman HH-43 Huskie helicopters with two Bell UH-1F Huey utility helicopters.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the primary base mission was range maintenance and the primary unit was the 57th Combat Support Squadron of civil engineers—the only assigned aircraft unit was a detachment of Bell UH-1N Twin Huey helicopters (designated as "Det 1").
In July 2019, the 799th Air Base Group was inactivated and responsibility for base support operations transferred to the newly activated the 432nd Mission Support Group, part of the 432nd Wing. The change allowed the 432nd Wing to become installation command authority at Creech, representing a shift away from the base relying on nearby Nellis AFB for support.[36]
Silver Flag Alpha RTC
An instructor from the 99th GCTS overseeing 'HMMWV Egress Assistance Training' (HEAT) at Silver Flag Alpha RTC
Creech was also home to the "Silver Flag Alpha Regional Training Center", operated by the 99th Ground Combat Training Squadron (99 GCTS). At Silver Flag Alpha, Security Forces airmen received mission-specific training prior to being deployed to combat areas.[37] There were two basic courses taught at Silver Flag Alpha; the 17-day Base Security Operations Course which focuses on base defense from within the base boundary and the Area Security Operations Course for airmen whose deployment tasking includes "outside the wire" missions where the airmen leave the base perimeter to conduct various missions.[21] Military Working Dog handlers received additional training along with attending one of the two Silver Flag Alpha courses.[21] Depending on the course the airmen may have received training on the following:[21]
Author Stephen King presented the site as the base of military operations for the antagonist, in his novel The Stand. Creech was the site for the control of drone surveillance and Hellfire missile deployment in the 2015 film Eye in the Sky.
It was also briefly seen in London Has Fallen, being the base of a drone strike in Pakistan during the prologue, supposedly killing the antagonist and his family. It is also hinted to be the base of another drone strike in Yemen, this time successfully killing the antagonist.[43]
In 2018, it appeared as a location for launching drone strikes in the third episode of the first season of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan.
^Shaw, Frederick J., ed. (2004). Locating Air Force Base Sites History's Legacy(PDF). Washington DC: Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force. Archived from the original(PDF) on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
^"Section VI: Location Factors"(PDF). Historical Air Force Construction (cost handbook). Directorate of Engineering Support, AFCE Support Agency. February 2007. Archived from the original(PDF) on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
^ abMaurer, Maurer. Aviation in the US Army, 1919–1939 (Report). Vol. AFD-100923-007. pp. 151 & 307. ISBN0-912799-38-2.
^ abcFutrell, Robert F. (July 1947). Development of AAF Base Facilities in the United States: 1939–1945 (Report). Vol. ARS-69: US Air Force Historical Study No 69 (Copy No. 2). Air Historical Office.
p. 50: "During the last stages of the 1939 augmentation a reconnaissance had been made of tracts of land near Tonopah, Nev., Wendover, Utah, and Arlington, Ore., in an effort to secure local [sic] practice ranges for McChord Field. During the spring and summer of 1940 negotiations had been opened to secure the three tracts, about 90 per cent of which was public domain, for use as general ranges.129"
p. 87: "Congress on 19 November 1941 appropriated $10,000,000 to the Commissioner of Public Roads for such construction as he might arrange and added $5,000,000 on 17 December 1941. During 1942 some 21 flight strips, with dimensions of 500 by 5000–8000, were constructed at an average cost of $394,000 each.59 … Although most of these flight strips were located along the continental seaboard, a few were located inland, generally to serve bombing ranges or for other specialized training."
^Final Inventory Project Report, Tonopah Bombing Range (Report). Project Number – J09NV1114. USACE Sacramento District. September 1999. Executive order 8578 was executed on October 29, 1940 for the withdrawal of 3,560,000 acres of land from the public domain for use by the War Department as an aerial bombing and gunnery range (CE0769).
^[failed verification]; Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas OCLC71006954, 29991467
^ abAir Force Special Weapons Center Facilities (Report). Air Force Research Laboratory Phillips Research Site Historical Information Office. 1953. (quotation from Van Citters, p. 123)
^Medema, Tech Sgt. William (14 July 2000). "Kirtland AFB Testers Reactivate World War II Training Base". Nucleus. 377th Air Base Wing, History Office. (cited by Van Citters, from which the quotation is taken.)
^Hardison, Maj. John D. (1990). The Megaton Blasters: Story of the 4925th Test Group (Atomic). Arvada: Boomerang Publishers. (quotations from Van Citters)
^Edward Giller, 17 April 2002 interview with Kristen Bisson (cited by Van Clitters p. 115)
^Jones, Major Marshall, Lt. Colonel William B. Dollahon, Lt. Colonel George Myers, and Betty Francisco. (1976). A Chronological History of Nuclear Readiness. Air Force Research Laboratory Phillips Research Site Historical Information Office. (cited by Van Citters, from which the quotation is taken.)
