Creech Air Force Base
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Creech Air Force Base (1942-Active) - A United States Air Force Base first established in 1942 during World War II as Indian Springs Airport at Indian Springs, Clark County, Nevada. Renamed Creech Air Force Base in 2005 for General Wilbur L. Creech, commander of Tactical Air Command from 1978-1984 and a veteran of more than 275 combat missions in Korea and Vietnam. Active U.S. Air Force Base. Also known as Indian Springs Air Force Base and Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field.
World War II(Text adapted from USAF Fact Sheet) Following the attack on Pear Harbor on 7 Dec 1941, a graded dirt airstrip was created at Indian Springs and by March 1942 three runways and associated taxiways had been built. By the end of 1942 the U.S. Army had a contract to build regular facilities on the post and by the end of 1943 training was underway for B-17 co-pilots. Aircraft on the base included twenty-nine B-17s, eighteen TC-26s, and six AT-61 trainers.
Post World War IIBy the end of 1945, the mission had decreased to the point where the base was placed in caretaker status and finally deactivated in January 1947. Cold WarAn independent Air Force was created in 1947 and, with the onset of the Cold War, the base was reactivated, assigned to Air Training Command, and renamed Indian Springs Air Force Base. In July 1952 during the Korean War the base transferred to the Air Research and Development Command and realigned under the Air Force Special Weapons Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1956, the Indian Springs airfield became the primary air demonstration practice site for the USAF Thunderbirds demonstration team. In 1961, control of the base shifted to the Tactical Air Command. Responsibilities included support to the Continental Nuclear Test Program and service as a staging base for the delivery of testing materials to the Soviet Union for joint verification tests. On 13 Apr 1964, the Air Force redesignated Indian Springs AFB as Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field and assigned it to Nellis Air Force Base. It provided range maintenance for sections of the huge Nellis Test and Training Range. Concurrently, it served as a recurring host base for deployments by Airmen and aviators from all the services in search of realistic, less constrained field training. Post Cold WarTactical Air Command was deactivated in 1992, Indian Springs AFAF then fell under the new Air Combat Command. On 13 Dec 1996, the first flight of the RQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft took place at Indian Springs AFAF. The Predator conducted the first successful firing of a Hellfire missile in February 2001. This transformation of a reconnaissance platform into an offensive weapon would transform Indian Springs from a center of support to a center of operations for worldwide missions. On 20 Jun 2005, with the transfer of the remotely piloted aviation mission to Indian Springs, the USAF redesignated Indian Springs AFAF as Creech AFB. The new global remotely piloted aviation mission included aircrew training and the supporting, directing, and coordination of combat sorties halfway across the world. On 13 Mar 2007, the first MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft arrived at Creech AFB.
Current StatusActive U.S. Air Force Base.
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Visited: Nov 2016
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