(Current as of July 2012) The primary mission of the 99th Ground Combat Training Squadron (GCTS) is to prepare Security Forces Airmen for combat. 99 GCTS accomplishes its mission by instructing tactical courses aimed at providing Airmen with mission specific skills to defend airbases around the globe.
This mission is accomplished by placing a strong focus on improving the skills of individual instructors and continually updating and improving the training curriculum to meet changing friendly and enemy tactics, techniques and procedures. 99 GCTS also conducts training with Joint and Combined Forces as well as other Air Force specialties in order to sharpen its combat skills.
History: In April, 1981, Headquarters Tactical Air Command established Silver Flag Alpha to teach and evaluate Security Police in Air Base Defense skills. This new training was in response to the lack of adequate weapons and ground combat training during the
Vietnam War. The unit took two years to establish the school and the curriculum.
The first Silver Flag Alpha class took place in 1983. Near the end of the 1980s, Silver Flag Alpha moved the bulk of Silver Flag Alpha operations to the Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, which later became Creech Air Force Base, in order to accommodate the growing number of students and the increased scope of the course.
In 2001, the course was refocused to meet the Integrated Base Defense needs supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and later Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
Location: The 99 GCTS is located at Creech AFB, adjacent to the town of Indian Springs, Nevada. The student dormitories as well as the classrooms are located on the base. GCTS also has a range complex, which is located approximately 15 miles south of Indian Springs on Highway 95. The range complex consists of 12 ranges capable of supporting all small arms fire in the Air Force inventory, a Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) village, a bare base tent city and a maneuver area.
Capabilities: Currently, 99 GCTS is one of eight Security Forces Regional Training Centers that conduct a wide variety of courses designed to ensure SF Airmen accomplish their mission both at home station and while deployed. The primary course taught is the Base Security Operations Course. It is a 17-day course and qualifies Airmen to conduct Integrated Defense Operations within the base boundary. Each year, 99 GCTS conducts 10 to 12 courses and trains approximately 3,000 students. Silver Flag Alpha also conducts an Area Security Operations course to qualify Airmen to operate “outside the wire” (on missions and patrols beyond the base perimeter).
Airmen also receive specialized vehicle, technology, Military Working Dog and weapons training at Silver Flag Alpha specifically tailored to their individual missions. Tactical Vehicle Training trains Airmen to operate and fight vehicles as a weapon system. These vehicles include: Up-Armored High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicles (UAHMMWV), Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles (MATV).
