Creech Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base located one mile (2 km) north of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Indian Springs
Indian Springs, Nevada
Indian Springs is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,302 at the 2000 census.-History:Indian Springs is named for the artesian spring that provides the area with water...
, in Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is about 35 miles (56.3 km) northwest of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and 45 miles (72.4 km) northwest of Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...
. It is named in honor of General Wilbur L. “Bill” Creech, known as the "Father of the Thunderbirds".
The host unit is the 432d Wing
432d Wing
The 432d Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command, stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The group operates unmanned reconnaissance aircraft which provide real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision attack against fixed and time-critical targets...
, which has six operational squadrons, one maintenance squadron, and MQ-9 Reaper
MQ-9 Reaper
The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle , capable of remote controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for use by the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, the CIA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Royal...
s and MQ-1 Predators.
Along with being the aerial demonstration training site for the Thunderbirds
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds are the air demonstration squadron of the U.S. Air Force , based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. The squadron tours the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially marked USAF jet aircraft...
, the base plays a major role in the ongoing War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. The base is home to the MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle which is used regularly in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The base is also home to the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battlelab
UAV Battlelab
The UAV Battlelab is a U.S. Air Force flight test and development facility specifically dedicated to developing unmanned aerial vehicles. One of six original Air Force battlelabs established in 1997, this battlelab falls directly under the Air Warfare Center and recently moved to Creech Air Force...
.
Units assigned
- 432d Air Expeditionary Wing - Reactivated on 1 May 2007
- 11th Reconnaissance Squadron11th Reconnaissance SquadronThe US Air Force 11th Reconnaissance Squadron flies MQ-1 Predator UAV's and is currently stationed at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. The 11th oversees the training of pilots and sensor operators assigned to the MQ-1....
- Reactivated on 29 July 1995, at Nellis under command of the 57th Operations Group57th Operations GroupThe 57th Operations Group is a non-flying component of the 57th Wing, assigned to the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.-Overview:...
, 57th Wing57th WingThe 57th Wing is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy into a combat arena to conduct integrated combat operations.-Mission:The 57...
as a training unit. - 15th Reconnaissance Squadron15th Reconnaissance Squadron15th Reconnaissance Squadron flies MQ-1 Predator UAV's and is currently stationed at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. The 15th Reconnaissance Squadron is one of the first armed Remotely Piloted Aircraft squadrons. The squadron provides combatant commanders with persistent ISR,...
- Reactivated on 1 August 1997, at Indian Springs under command of the 57th Operations Group. This unit conducts real time surveillance. - 17th Reconnaissance Squadron17th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 17th Reconnaissance Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 57th Operations Group, and stationed at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada.-Overview:...
- Reactivated on 8 March 2002, at Indian Springs under command of the 57th Operations Group. This unit conducts intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. - 30th Reconnaissance Squadron30th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 30th Reconnaissance Squadron is reconnaissance test squadron assigned to the 432d Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada...
- Activated in August, 2005 and based at Tonopah Test Range AirportTonopah Test Range AirportTonopah Test Range Airport , also Senior Trend project site PS-66, is located near the center of the Tonopah Test Range, southeast of Tonopah, Nevada and northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a major airfield with a runway, instrument approach facilities, and nighttime illumination...
under command of the 57th Operations Group. The unit is a test operation. - Joint Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of ExcellenceJoint Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of ExcellenceThe Joint Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence is a multi service unit based at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada....
- 19th Attack Squadron - established in 2006.
- 42d Attack Squadron42d Attack SquadronThe 42d Attack Squadron of the United States Air Force flies MQ-9 Reaper UAVs and is currently based out of Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. The 42d will oversee the training and combat deployment of aerial vehicle and sensor operators assigned to the new MQ-9 Reaper...
- Reactivated on 8 November 2006. The 42d Attack Squadron will oversee the training of pilots and sensor operators assigned to the MQ-9. - 432d Operations Support Squadron - Reactivated on 1 May 2007. The 432d Operations Support Squadron provides support to MQ-1 and MQ-9 operations.
- 11th Reconnaissance Squadron
- 3d Special Operations Squadron3d Special Operations SquadronThe 3d Special Operations Squadron flies MQ-1 Predator Remotely Piloted Aircrafts and is currently located at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico. The 3d SOS is under the command of the Air Force Special Operations Command.-History:...
- Activated on 28 October 2005 at Indian Springs. This unit is under the command of the Air Force Special Operations CommandAir Force Special Operations CommandAir Force Special Operations Command is the Special Operations component of the United States Air Force and the US Air Force component command to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida...
. - 98th Southern Range Support Squadron98th Southern Range Support SquadronThe 98th Southern Range Support Squadron is responsible for the day-to-day support of Creech Air Force Base, the Point Bravo logistics site and the Nevada Test and Training Range southern ranges. The unit is part of the 98th Range Wing...
- 99th Communications Squadron OL-A
- 99th Ground Combat Training Squadron - The 99 GCTS operates as a detachment of the 99th Security Forces Group located Nellis AFB. The 99 GCTS operates a number of training schools for members of the U.S. Air Force's Security Forces (AFSC 3P0X1). Primarily the USAF's CONUS (Continental United States) desert ground warfare school, Silver Flag Alpha, is conducted here.
- 432d Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron
- 432d Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron556th Test and Evaluation SquadronThe 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 53d Test and Evaluation Group, Detachment. 4 at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.-Overview:...
- Reactivated on 5 March 2008, at Indian Springs. 'This is the Air Force's first operational test squadron for unmanned aerial systems'. - No. 39 Squadron RAFNo. 39 Squadron RAFNo. 39 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the MQ-9 Reaper since 2007, operating from Creech AFB, Nevada, USA.-World War I:39 Squadron was founded at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome in April 1916 with B.E.2s and Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12s in an attempt to defend against German Zeppelin raids on...
flying MQ-9 Reapers.
World War II
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 IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A month after the 7 December 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, the Army began building the training camp. Known as Indian Springs Auxiliary Army Airfield , 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 a base for air-to-air gunnery training to support the Western Flying Training Command Gunnery School at Las Vegas Army Airfield. Personnel assigned to the airfield maintained five small airstrips.
- Auxiliary #1 (Groom LakeGroom LakeGroom Lake is a salt flat in Nevada used for runways of the Nellis Bombing Range Test Site airport on the north of the Area 51 USAF military installation. The lake at elevation is ~ from north to south and from east to west at its widest point...
Field) 37°16′41"N 115°45′23"W
- May be a target airfield as bomb craters are visible in imagery.
- Auxiliary #4 (Forty-Mile Canyon Field) 37°06′10"N 116°18′45"W
- Now Pahute Mesa Airstrip.
- Auxiliary Fields #2; #3 and #5 have not been located.
The little post was in service supporting B-17s and T-6
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
s until March 1945 when the Army put the base in stand-by status maintained by a small housekeeping staff. When Las Vegas AAF inactivated in January 1947, Indian Springs also closed down.
Cold War
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 CommandAir Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
(ATC) to the Air Research and Development Command
Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Systems Command is a former United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland...
(ARDC), reporting to the Air Force Special Weapons Center at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
.
Det 1, AFSWC(Air Force Special Weapons Center): Mid/Late 1960s
The base was home to a contingent of aircraft detached from Kirtland AFB in the mid-late 1960s. This was designated Detachment 1, AFSWC (Air Force Special Weapons Center). Det 1's mission was to support the Atomic test site by transporting personnel to and from Mercury Nevada and Yucca Flats and to 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. During one bombing range support mission in 1967 (1968?) the unit Commander Lt. Colonel Conner(s)and his co-pilot, Captain Peterson(?)were killed when their Beaver aircraft crashed into one of the mountains that ringed the range; it was suspected that a smoke bomb may have been inadvertently dropped inside the plane during the flight.
This detachment consisted of an administrative unit, an electronics repair unit, a small supply unit, and as well as a dozen+ or so pilots and maintenance personnel. The unit flew 4 fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopers. Two fixed wing planes were single-engine Beavers and two other twin-engine planes; In 1966 the unit flew a pair of HH-43 helicopters which were replaced by a pair of UH-IF utility aircraft that same year. [End Det 1, AFSWC]
In 1961 the base transferred to the Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC). It was officially known as Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field at least prior to 1977 and remained that until 2005. Following the inactivation of Tactical Air Command. In 1992, the base became a component of Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(ACC). During the 1970s and 1980s, the only assigned aircraft unit on the base was a detachment of UH-1N Twin Huey
UH-1N Twin Huey
The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter that first flew in April, 1969. The UH-1N has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the UH-1N has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ . An external load of 5,000 lb can be carried...
helicopters which was designated as "Det 1". The primary mission during this time was range maintenance for the vast Nellis weapons range. The 57th Combat Support Squadron was the primary squadron on the base during this time which was composed of Air Force Civil Engineers.
The base has also been the remote training site for the USAF Thunderbirds. On 18 January 1982, while practicing for an air show at Davis-Monthan AFB, the entire 4-ship diamond formation of the Thunderbirds crashed
1982 Thunderbirds Indian Springs Diamond Crash
The 1982 Diamond Crash was the worst operational accident to befall the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Team involving show aircraft.Four Northrop T-38 Talon jets crashed during operational training on 18 January 1982, killing all four pilots....
at Indian Springs. The four pilots, including the squadron commander, were flying T-38 Talon
T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
aircraft that equipped the team at the time and were performing a line abreast loop when all aircraft had a controlled flight into terrain
Controlled flight into terrain
Controlled flight into terrain describes an accident in which an airworthy aircraft, under pilot control, is unintentionally flown into the ground, a mountain, water, or an obstacle. The term was coined by engineers at Boeing in the late 1970s...
(CFIT) impact along the runway in front of the base Fire Station.
Modern era
On 20 June 2005, Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field officially changed its name to Creech Air Force Base in honor of the late General Wilbur L. “Bill” Creech. Gen Creech was a former commander of the Tactical Air Command and was also known as the “father of the Thunderbirds,” the Air Force’s premiere air demonstration squadron.In October 2005, the 3d Special Operations Squadron
3d Special Operations Squadron
The 3d Special Operations Squadron flies MQ-1 Predator Remotely Piloted Aircrafts and is currently located at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico. The 3d SOS is under the command of the Air Force Special Operations Command.-History:...
was activated at Creech joining the 11th, 15th and 17th Reconnaissance Squadrons, becoming the first MQ-1 squadron in the Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command is the Special Operations component of the United States Air Force and the US Air Force component command to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida...
. The Joint Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence
Joint Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence
The Joint Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence is a multi service unit based at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada....
was also established at the same time.
The 42d Attack Squadron
42d Attack Squadron
The 42d Attack Squadron of the United States Air Force flies MQ-9 Reaper UAVs and is currently based out of Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. The 42d will oversee the training and combat deployment of aerial vehicle and sensor operators assigned to the new MQ-9 Reaper...
was formed at Creech on 8 November 2006 as the first Reaper squadron.
On 1 May 2007 operational control of the base was moved from Nellis to the 432d Wing
432d Wing
The 432d Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command, stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The group operates unmanned reconnaissance aircraft which provide real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision attack against fixed and time-critical targets...
which was reactivated and assumed control of the base.
Many organizations have criticized the use of the Predator and Reaper drones, and the perceived extremely high danger of harming civilians
In protest to UAV attacks in Pakistan
Drone attacks on Pakistan by the United States of America
The United States government, led by the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division, has made a series of attacks on targets in northwest Pakistan since 2004 using drones . These attacks are part of the US' War on Terrorism campaign, seeking to defeat Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants...
, in an event sponsored by Nevada Desert Experience
Nevada Desert Experience
The Nevada Desert Experience is a name for the movement to stop U.S. nuclear weapons testing that came into use in the middle 1980s. It is also the name of a particular anti-nuclear organization which continues to create public events to question the morality and intelligence of the U.S. nuclear...
, Father Louie Vitale
Louie Vitale
Fr. Louis Vitale, OFM, is a Franciscan priest, activist, and a co-founder of Nevada Desert Experience. He has engaged in civil disobedience for nearly four decades in pursuit of peace and justice, and has been arrested more than 200 times. Vitale says that St...
, Kathy Kelly
Kathy Kelly
Kathy Kelly is an American peace activist, pacifist and author, a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, one of the founding members of Voices in the Wilderness, and currently a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. She has been described as "probably the most respected leader in the...
, Stephen Kelly, SJ
Stephen Kelly (SJ)
Fr. Stephen Kelly, SJ is a priest of the Society of Jesus who worked with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Central America for many years.He is an activist, has participated in a number of Plowshares Movement protests and is a war-tax resister....
, John Dear
John Dear
John Dear is an American Catholic priest, Christian pacifist, author and lecturer. He has been arrested over 75 times in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience against war, injustice and nuclear weapons.-Studies:...
, and others were arrested outside the Air Force Base on Wednesday April 9, 2009.. They were convicted of trespassing, and sentenced to time served on January 27, 2011. Additional protests have been held, conducted by a number of organizations including Code Pink
Code Pink
Code Pink: Women for Peace is an anti-war group that is mainly composed of women. It has regional offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and many more chapters in the U.S. as well as several in other countries...
.
In 2011, the ground stations used to control drones were found to be infected with keylogger
Keystroke logging
Keystroke logging is the action of tracking the keys struck on a keyboard, typically in a covert manner so that the person using the keyboard is unaware that their actions are being monitored...
software. It is suspected the malware was introduced through the use of removable disk drives to load map updates and transport mission videos from one computer to another. The Twenty-Fourth Air Force was alerted to the problem by reading an article in Wired Magazine. The Air Force issued a statement that the virus had "posed no threat to our operational mission".
Other sources
- Shaw, Frederick J. (2004), Locating Air Force Base Sites History’s Legacy, Air Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington DC, 2004.
- Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC
External links
- Creech Air Force Base, official web site
- Creech Air Force Base at GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...