Nellis Air Force Base
Overview
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located in southern Nevada with military schools and more squadrons than any other USAF base. Nellis is the airbase for air combat exercises such as Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flying operations.
History
The base was named in honor of William Harrell Nellis, a Las Vegas resident and P-47 pilot who died in action during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. It was initially established as Las Vegas Army Air Field on 20 December 1941, just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Location and Layout
Nellis Air Force Base is located approximately eight miles northeast of downtown Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada. The base covers more than 14,000 acres, while the total land area occupied by Nellis and its restricted ranges is about 5,000 square miles. Adjacent to the base to the west is the Nevada Test and Training Range.
Units
Nellis is home to numerous units, including the 57th Wing, which is the largest composite wing in the USAF. Other units include the 99th Air Base Wing, the 53rd Wing, and the 505th Command and Control Wing.
Training and Operations
Nellis is a major location for air combat training and houses the USAF Weapons School, which trains pilots for precision attack missions. The base also hosts the Red Flag and Green Flag exercises, which are realistic aerial combat training exercises held several times a year.
Facilities
Nellis has more than 1,300 buildings, which include the Mike O'Callaghan Military Medical Center, the largest military hospital in the US Air Force. The base also has a solar power plant, the Nellis Solar Power Plant, which is one of the largest of its kind in the United States.