Page 1 - Desert Lightning News, Nellis-Creech AFB Edition, January 8, 2021

vol. 5, no. 1 Serving Southern Nevada’s military community, including Nellis, Creech and NTTR Jan. 8, 2021

An Aerotech news And review publicAtion • www.Aerotechnews.com

A look bAck At

2020

by Stuart Ibberson
editor 2020

Jan. 1, 2020, dawned as the beginning of a new
year – just like any other new year.
But this past year was unlike any in living memory.
Early in the year, news of the COVID-19 corona-
virus started percolating and before we knew it, the
entire world was in the midst of a global pandemic.
Businesses started closing, people were ordered to
stay at home and life as we knew it changed.
Face masks became a common sight, telecom-
muting became something almost everyone became
familiar with, and social distancing became the
norm. The Defense Department issued a worldwide
stop movement order — postponing TDYs and per-
manent change of station moves. Local commanders
issued ever increasing restrictions on who could enter
a base and when.
But through it all, the mission of defending the
United States, training new recruits, and advanced
training and exercises, continued. Recruits still
headed to basic training, advanced training classes
still went ahead, and Red Flag and Green Flag exer-
cises continued. Air shows around the world were
cancelled, but the Thunderbirds still flew — honor-
ing frontline workers with flyovers of hospitals and
medical facilities across the country.
Meetings, conferences, changes of command and
promotion ceremonies continued — albeit socially
distanced and virtually.
And by December, the first tranche of COVID-19
vaccines were being administered to frontline health-
care workers at Nellis, Creech, and at the Southern
Nevada VA Healthcare System.
In this special issue of Desert Lightning News, we
take a look back at 2020 and what it meant to the
service members and retirees who live and work in
and around Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases.