<item><hi format=bold>Location and Origin of Name:</hi> eight miles northeast of Las Vegas, and named for First Lieutenant William H. Nellis who was killed on his 70th mission on 27 December 1944 when his P-47 was shot down near Bastogne, Belgium
</list>
<p>The base was opened in 1941 as Las Vegas Air Field with various other titles until it was renamed Nellis AFB in April 1950. It trained AAF gunners during World War II and expanded postwar with additional facilities for the USAF Aircraft Gunnery School (later Fighter Weapons School) in May 1949. The base was administered by Air Corps Flying Training Command and later ATC before switching to TAC in July 1958. The 3595th Air Demonstration Flt, alias the 'Thunderbirds', moved here from Luke AFB in June 1956 and changed designation to 4520th Air Demonstration Flt and Squadron before becoming the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron in February 1967. The Nellis base and range complex had expanded to more than three million acres by 1962, making it the largest USAF installation. The 4525th Fighter Weapons Wing was formed in September 1966 as the flying unit of the Tactical Fighter Weapons Center (TFWC). The 4525th FWW was replaced by the 57th FWW in October 1969. The 4480th TFW activated in July 1967 but was replaced by the 474th TFW six months later. Red Flag realistic tactical exercises began in late 1975, with the 4440th TFTG assigned in March 1976 to coordinate activities. The 57th FWW organized aggressor training, with the 64th and 65th FWS becoming TFTAS and operating the F-5E around the same time. The squadrons upgraded to the F-16C/D, before inactivating during 1989 and 1990. A limited aggressor role is currently performed by the Adversary Tactics Division. The 57th FWW was redesignated a Fighter Wing before becoming to the 57th Wing in May 1992. Two operational units were assigned, with the 66th RQS and 561st FS both activated in February 1993.
