LOCATION:
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Nellis is located in Southern Nevada approximately 293 miles from Los Angeles, 298 miles from Phoenix and 288 miles from the Grand Canyon National Park. The local area has low annual humidity of 20 percent with 310 days of sunshine (85 percent) and a low annual rainfall of only 4.13 inches. Summer temperatures average above 100 degrees while nights are pleasantly cool. Winter temperatures range from the mid-40s to the upper- 60s. High velocity wind storms and accompanying dust storms occur occasionally.
HISTORY:
The history of Nellis AFB began with a survey in October 1940 by Major David M. Schlatter of the Army Air Corps, who examined various sites in the Southwest looking for a location for an aerial gunnery school. Las Vegas was attractive for its clear weather and year-round flying, and the then-impoverished city was eager for a military base. On January 2, 1941, the city bought an airstrip run by Western Air Express and leased it to the Air Corps three days later, the plan being to use the strip for both military and civilian aircraft.
Construction of the "Las Vegas Army Air Field" began in March 1941; the first commander, Colonel Martinus Stenseth, arrived in May. Much of the early gunnery training, originally set to begin in September, but not underway until January 1942, used machine guns mounted in trucks and targets on railroad cars to accustom students to firing at a moving target. World War II made the base's mission especially urgent, and by the end of 1942, 9,117 gunners had graduated, with aircraft in use including Martin B-10s, AT-6s, A-33s, B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-24 Liberators, and B-26 Marauders.
At the height of training in 1943 and 1944, over 15,000 men and women were at the base. Actors Ronald Reagan and Burgess Meredith came to help produce the propaganda film Rear Gunner. Much of the training was for B-17 gunners; then at the beginning of 1945 emphasis shifted to the B-29 Superfortress. An innovation was the use of a specially-designed target aircraft, the RP-63, which was sufficiently armored to be shot at with breakable bullets. At war's end, the school had trained over 45,000 B-17 gunners, and over 3,000 for the B-29.
The gunnery school closed in September 1945, and the base itself was officially inactivated in January 1947. It was reactivated by the newly-created United States Air Force in March 1948, which organized an advanced single-engine school. The first Air Force Gunnery Meet was held at the base on May 2, 1949, with competitors from 14 Air Force units, flying both prop and jet aircraft.
The base was renamed Nellis Air Force Base on April 30, 1950. Shortly thereafter the base was again needed to prepare pilots for the Korean War, first with F-51 Mustang training, and then with F-80s and F-86 Sabres. The base also became a part of testing programs for new aircraft.
MISSION:
The mission of the United States Air Force Warfare Center (USAFWC) is to manage advanced weapons and tactics training and USAFWC is responsible for operational test, evaluation and tactics development for Air Force combat weapons systems. The USAFWC oversees operations of five wings: 57th Wing (57 WG), 98th Range Wing (98 RANW), and 99th Air Base Wing (99 ABW) at Nellis, 505th Command and Control Wing (505 CCW) at Hurlburt Field, FL, and the 53rd Wing (53 WG) at Eglin AFB, FL. Additionally, the USAFWC oversees the operations of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battlelab (UAVB) at Creech Air Force Base, the Air Warfare Battlelab (AWB) at Mountain Home AFB, ID and AWFC Det 1 (AWFC Det 1) at Ft. Leavenworth, KS.
POPULATION SERVED:
Because of Nellis' good year-round flying weather and location, it is an ideal place for advanced combat aviation training. The base itself covers more than 11,000 acres and its vast ranges, which make up the Nellis Range Complex, provide 3.1 million acres of airspace support for military flying operations. There are approximately 7,500 military and 2,500 civilians who work at Nellis. On average there are over 1,000 temporary duty (TDY) personnel each day at Nellis, and over 8,000 official visitors annually.
SPONSORSHIP:
A sponsor will send you a sponsor package, answer your questions about the base and the area, make lodging/dorm arrangements for you, and meet you upon arrival - your sponsor will help you, and your family, until you are settled into the new community.
Air Force Permanent Party personnel - contact your unit Commander's Support Staff for a sponsor. Sponsorship is mandatory for all personnel below the grade of colonel. If you still do not receive a sponsor, contact the Nellis AFB Family Support Center for assistance; see Contacts/Links. Sister Service members/spouses, Permanent Party - your unit may appoint a sponsor for you and/or send you a sponsor/welcome package. If not, the Nellis AFB Family Support Center will be glad to mail you a package and answer your questions. See Contacts/Links.
Department of Defense civilians - contact your selecting official or personnel office for a sponsor. Sponsorship is mandatory for all personnel below the grade of colonel or civilian equivalent. If you still do not receive a sponsor, contact the Nellis AFB Family Support Center for assistance.
TEMPORARY QUARTERS:
You can make your own arrangements for temporary lodging by calling the Lodging Office. Your sponsor can also make arrangements for you. Be sure to let the Lodging Office know if your arrival date changes. Also, be sure to have your confirmation number handy.
Until you get a permanent address your mail may be forwarded to: Last Name, First Name, MI 3500 Postal Service Center (must be spelled out) Nellis AFB NV 89191-0045. Upon arrival, pick up mail at the Postal Service Center co-located with the on base U.S. Post Office in Bldg 320.
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE:
Learn what you need to know about moving from the experts at Operation Smooth Move. They can also provide information on your new duty station. Sponsorship Training is for newly assigned sponsors to help make them more effective at welcoming new people. They also have information on schools, utility companies, neighborhoods, etc. Take advantage of Childcare for PCS, an Air Force Aid Society program and get 20 hours of free childcare prior to leaving your current duty station and another 20 hours at your gaining base. The FSC encourages spouses to attend Right Start. At Right Start, newcomers will increase their knowledge of Nellis and the local community, and they can visit the FSC staff at the Information Fair to learn more about what the FSC offers. If you need dishes, pot and pans, aero-beds or futons, car seats, strollers or other light housekeeping items until your things arrive; you may borrow them from the Loan Closet. Prior to your departure from Nellis, you may borrow items again. The Layette Program, funded by the Officers' Spouse Club, provides baby items to E-4s and below upon the birth of their first child.
CRITICAL INSTALLATION INFORMATION:
Everyone at Nellis plays a vital role in molding its aerial forces into the "toughest kid on the block." The work is hard, the hours are sometimes long and the temperatures soar during summer months. Nevertheless, Nellis AFB and the Las Vegas Valley are great places to live and work. This area has some of the best entertainment and recreation in the world including fishing, water sports, and mountains which are only a short drive away. And nothing can beat the pride of being a member of the busiest air combat base in the world.