Page 3 - Nellis AFB Bullseye 8-14-15

BULLSEYE News 3August 14, 2015

www.aerotechnews.com/nellisafb Facebook.com/NellisBullseye

EVOLUTION, from page 1 ______ “Many people think of historians as their dependents, and an additional
3,000 retired military personnel.
Flexible Gunnery School because of
the good flying weather throughout dealing with the past, and that is partly In 1991, the Tactics Weapons Center
the year, the available access to vacant was redesignated as the U.S. Air Force
land for gunnery ranges, as well as
being a good distance away from the true. An interesting aspect of the job is Fighter Weapons Center and was
Pacific Ocean’s coastline. changed to the U.S. Air Force Warfare

After the survey was completed, Center in October 2005.
the city of Las Vegas purchased the
airfield on Jan. 2, 1941 for $10. The capturing events that take place today in Today, Nellis AFB hosts many op-
U.S. Army leased the airfield three erations, which include Red and Green
days later. the form of documentation.” Flag, and the U.S. Air Force Weapons

In October 1941, the airfield was School — all of which contribute to the
dedicated as the Las Vegas Army Air
Field. — Daniel Wheaton, 57th Wing historian base’s mission of “Testing, Training

Starting in 1942, gunnery train- and Tactics.”
ing at Las Vegas Army Air Field
commenced with student gunners To Gerald White, 99th Air Base
progressing from skeet shooting from Las Vegas Army Air Field to generate Many of the Korean War aces Wing historian, the history of Nellis
atop moving vehicles to mobile sperry volunteers as military flying was an trained at Nellis AFB or served as AFB has fascinated him since the day
ball turrets and stationary top turrets exclusively volunteer business. instructors after their combat tours. he arrived in 2009.
for the B-17 Flying Fortress and, by
1945, for the B-29 Superfortress. Operations at the base wound Later in 1950, Nellis AFB opened its “I didn’t know a lot about fighter
down after World War II came to an first base chapel and a movie theatre, aircraft with my background in air
The training produced approxi- end which ultimately put the base in which provided Airmen an escape mobility, but I also didn’t know a
mately 55,000 B-17 and 3,500 B-25 TUBOECZTUBUVTJO%FDFNCFSćF from the base’s mission during their lot about training and the history in
Mitchell gunners for World War II. base re-opened in January 1949 for off-duty time.
Las Vegas because I had only been
From July to August 1942, a train- advanced pilot training with the first *O
UIFUI"JS%FNPOTUSB- here once as a tourist,” White said. “I
ing film called “The Rear Gunner” gunnery meet and the opening of the tion Flight was assigned to Nellis AFB, learned how Las Vegas was selected for
which starred Ronald Reagan and Aircraft Gunnery School in May 1949. which today is known as the U.S. Air the mission after it was re-opened after
Burgess Meredith, was produced at On May 1, 1950, Las Vegas Army 'PSDF "JS %FNPOTUSBUJPO 4RVBESPO
World War II because of its location
Air Field was officially renamed Nel- the Thunderbirds.
as well as the development of fighter
lis Air Force Base, after the late 1st Lt. In 1965, Nellis AFB opened the U.S. and their weapons and how the base
William Nellis, who was shot down Air Force Medical Facility, which was supported operations in North Korea
while flying during the Battle of the classed as a 50-bed hospital that could and Vietnam.”
Bulge. care for 9,000 military personnel and %BOJFM8IFBUPO
UI8JOHIJTUP-

rian, also is amazed at how large the

COMMANDER, from page 1___________ mission at Nellis AFB has become.
“The big thing I’ve learned about

“Our job is to provide the maximum amount Nellis AFB is the amazing mission of
of capability we can to the combatant command- the 57th Wing that occurs here. This
ers,” Carlisle said. “As the lead for five of the Air wing has many missions not found

Force’s 12 core functions, we have to build the anywhere else in the world; the U.S.

best Air Force we can now and in the future given Air Force Weapons School, the Ag-

the resources the American people provide us.” gressors, the Thunderbirds, the 561st

Carlisle noted that ensuring the Air Force’s Joint Tactics Squadron, the U.S. Air
capacity and capability to successfully meet Force Advanced Maintenance and
those five functions — air superiority, global Munitions Operations School, the
integrated ISR, global precision attack, personnel many exercises under the 57th Opera-
recovery, and command and control — would be tions Group including Red Flag and
a challenging undertaking in what has become Green Flag-East and –West, and the
an increasingly complex and uncertain environ- many airframe types utilized by and
ment. However, he added he was confident that maintained by wing units,” Wheaton
the command’s Airmen were up to the task.
said. “Every Airman in these units
“Our Airmen are our asymmetric advantage

over any adversary that we may face,” he said. plays a significant role in these mis-

“We must make sure they’re resilient and have sions, and these missions play a vital

everything they need to face the unique chal- role in influencing the success of the
lenges of military life, and set conditions that U.S. Air Force all over the world. It is
support joint-force objectives and the national quite amazing when you think about
military strategy.” it.”

Within the strategy, Carlisle noted that despite There is a never ending learning
having “more mission than we have people, time process about the history of Las Vegas,
or money” he was confident in the command’s Nellis AFB and the missions that go
future and its enduring commitment to “protect- on during a daily basis, but White has
ing the foundation of airpower and securing the
noticed that the city and the base have
high ground for America.”

“ACC has a proud heritage of meeting difficult coincided and have grown up together.

challenges with success,” he wrote. “That will not “In January, it will be the 75th

change as we go forward.” Courtesy graphic anniversary of the lease of the base,”
A copy of the 2015 ACC Command Strategy White said. “So basically there has
been an Air Force presence in the city
is available for review and download at http:// of Las Vegas for the last 75 years and
XXXBDDBGNJMTIBSFENFEJBEPDVNFOU"'% the town has grown up with the Air
150810-026.pdf. Force growing up with it.”

For more information, contact ACC Public
Affairs, at 757-764-5007.