OPERATION WELCOME HOME WELCOMES
VIETNAM VETERANS
AVIATION NATION 2005 
Nellis Air Force Base Las Vegas, Nevada
November 12-13, 2005
"The Las Vegas Centennial and OPERATION WELCOME HOME is a long overdue celebration to publicly honor, thank and recognize Americas 2.7 million Vietnam veterans." This is a sincere and thoughtful statement by Major General Stephen Goldfein, Commander of the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base that has historical, present and future American Airpower for our nation and freedom loving peoples around the world.
The General also noted the people of Nellis AFB take great pride in our contribution to the combat capability of our U. S. Air Force. We have a unique role in developing and maintaining the strength of Americas air and space power through exceptional training, tactics, development, and test programs. Everything important in the history of combat airpower was invented here or developed here.
He also underscored the special Nellis relationship with Las Vegas, southern Nevada and the nation thanks them for their support and appreciation. The people of Nellis AFB welcome the opportunity to showcase American airpower in military and civilian form, while demonstrating the professionalism of the men and women in all their various roles.
Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman noted Nellis AFB has been a community partner since 1941 when the U S Army Corps established a gunnery school just eight miles outside the tiny town of Las Vegas. Today, Nellis AFB is the heart of air combat testing, training and evaluation, is one of our nations finest and most important military installations. He acknowledged and expressed pride in the men and women veterans who answered the nations call during Americas and Vietnams especially volatile time.
The Nellis Edge In Vietnam
Through its Weapons School, Nellis AFB tested both aircraft and munitions which enabled to increase its significance as a tactical asset while evolving mission profiles to support more conventional ground war support. This enabled a new systematic analysis of the air war and development of new tactics. Vital and formal training for aircrews and maintenance groups were developed and deployed as well.
Aircraft initially used in the Vietnam War that were tested at Nellis included the F-105 Thunderchief, the F-110 Spectre, and the F-111 Aardvark. The F-110 impressed the Air Force with its performance and was accessioned and renamed as the F-4C Phantom II. Two restored F-4 Phantoms were on display and flown over the weekend. The shows Heritage Flight featured a highly restored F-4 Phantom, the classic P-51 Mustang and one of the latest F/A-22 Raptors. These aircraft from three different eras garnered everyones attention and respect especially during low altitude fly-bys.
Other Nellis firsts include hosting the Air Forces only F-111 Aardvark wing while helping guide its evolving development. The aircraft required two pilots and had a team of 72 support personnel.
In late 1964, Nellis began night photo reconnaissance training and based some powerful cold war aircraft. Early in1965, Nellis was the only base in Tactical Air Command that provided flight training for the F-105 Thunderchief , a nuclear fighter-bomber. Nellis helped modify the F-105 to perform more conventional tasks and went on to be one of the wars most utilized aircraft.. Most pilots completing their Nellis training were sent directly into combat.
In addition to formal training, Nellis conducted simulated combat exercises based on the realities of war including pilot preparation to penetrate enemy air defenses under "near combat" conditions.. This was a critical pilot skill for survivability in Vietnams dangerous skies and started a new approach to training and development that continues into the 21st century .
Early training was trial and error but evolved quickly by using experimentation. When coupled with a variety of instructional methods and techniques even with limited resources and a "lessons learned approach" remarkable results were achieved. This approach was applied in making much needed capital improvements, expanding base operations, reallocation the personnel and materials to other pressing needs in theatre. A few veteran attendees said Nellis accomplished more with less with focus and dedication. They remembered seven day workweeks, support of special projects and a can-do attitude.
A high percentage of aircraft were lost in the early years, in spite of advanced training, dedication and hard work. In 1969, a classified study called Project Red Baron was started that identified problems such as quickly locating attacking smaller enemy aircraft, mission overload/over-reach and a critical need to develop tactics to identify enemy vulnerabilities.
In response, the Fighter Weapons School provided newer specialized approaches and instruction such as the classified Project Red Baron. These efforts laid the foundation for world class advanced pilot instruction using evolving state-of-the-art realistic combat training. Programs like Wild Weasel (1965) developed new countermeasures to combat North Vietnamese anti-aircraft defenses and Red Flag (1975) created "realistic first ten combat missions" training before real combat has remained the Air Forces premier training exercise.
Facing ongoing "real world threats" other flag programs were created like Desert Flag in 1991 responding to Gulf War One. The desert environments around Nellis AFB provided similar terrain found in the Middle East adding more exercise realism. In 2005, evolving evaluation and training focuses on possible global threats, the first Joint Red Flag exercise used the largest simulator deployment at 44 sites nationwide. This most likely will continue at a rapid pace, coupled with increased flexibility of personnel and equipment and evolve using more technology, service integration coupled with airborne/space based assets.
Nellis AFB and surrounding organizations will continue to play a vital role in our nations defense through commitment and excellence. Much of this is based on the contributions by the Vietnam veterans who are being honored this weekend.
