Nevada Test and Training Range ( military unit ) The Nevada Test and Training Range ( NTTR ) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Force Warfare Center of Air Combat Command . The unit is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada as a tenant unit . The NTTR is a non - flying unit that provides command and control of the Nevada Test and Training Range ( NTTR ) . The commander coordinates , prioritizes and is the approval authority for activities involving other governmental agencies , departments and commercial activities on the NTTR . The NTTR integrates and provides support for test and training programs that have a direct effect on the war - fighting capabilities of the combat air forces . The history of the NTTR can be traced to its predecessor , the 98th Bombardment Group , a B - 24 Liberator heavy bomber group that fought in North Africa and Italy during World War II . The group was last assigned to the range as the 98th Operations Group in 2011 and its history and honors have been temporarily been bestowed on the range . Two of the group ' s members , Colonel John R . ( Killer ) Kane and First Lieutenant Donald Pucket were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in combat . The group flew a total of 417 missions and earning a total of 15 battle streamers as well as two Distinguished Unit Citation s . During the early years of the Cold War , the 98th Bombardment Wing ( BW ) , Very Heavy was formed in 1947 as and assigned to Strategic Air Command . Further redesignations followed as the wing mission changed , including the 98th Strategic Aerospace Wing when it added intercontinental ballistic missile s to its bomber force in 1964 , and later the 98th Strategic Wing when it moved to Spain to control deployed Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) assets in 1966 . The 98th Strategic Wing was inactivated on 31 December 1976 with the phaseout of SAC operations at Torrejon AB , Spain and its functions transferred to the 306th Strategic Wing at Ramstein AB , West Germany . The NTTR is commanded by Colonel Kenneth Thompson . History . Organization and Korean War . During the early years of the Cold War , the 98th Bombardment Wing , Very Heavy , ( BW ) was formed 24 October 1947 as part of the Air Force ' s experimental wing base ( Hobson Plan ) reorganization and assigned to Strategic Air Command . The 98th BW was discontinued on 12 July 1948 , and replaced by the 98th BW , Medium the same day when the test was deemed successful and the organization made permanent . From November 1947 to July 1948 and July 1948 to July 1954 , the wing headquarters was often manned as a " paper " unit with most of its components attached to other establishments for long periods . The wing ' s tactical group was operational , but under control of other organizations from November 1947 to April 1950 and again from August 1950 through March 1951 . On 1 April 1951 , wing headquarters deployed to Japan to assume control over combat operations of the group ' s three tactical squadrons , while the rest of the wing remained behind in Washington . In 1952 , the combat squadrons were joined by three maintenance squadrons . Wing combat missions in Korea included interdiction of enemy communications and support of United Nations ground forces . Its last combat mission flown 25 July 1953 and it dropped propaganda leaflets on the day of truce two days later . During the Korean War , the squadrons of the 98th flew more than 5 , 000 sorties and dropped more than 40 , 000 tons of bombs ( actual total unavailable ) . They earned a Distinguished Unit Citation , a Korean Presidential Unit Citation and 10 battle streamers . The 98th was credited with the destruction of 5 MiG 15 Jet Fighters and one propeller driven fighter . The 98th recorded 19 Boeing B - 29 Superfortress losses from August 1950 to July 1954 . Cold War . The wing remained at Yokota Air Base , Japan in combat - ready status for another year . Meanwhile , wing components not deployed in Japan moved to newly reopened Lincoln AFB , Nebraska to supervise construction in preparation for movement there of the deployed wing components . The wing disposed of its B - 29s at the " boneyard " at Davis - Monthan AFB , Arizona . In July 1954 , wing components concentrated at the wing ' s new base , but in October , the 98th gave up its host responsibilities at Lincoln to the 818th Air Division . Air refueling operations were already underway by then . The wing ' s squadrons began receiving new Boeing B - 47E Stratojet swept - wing medium bombers in January 1955 , capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union . At this point the wing began an intensive training program to convert to combat ready status as soon as possible . This was achieved in April 1955 . During next decade , the wing participated in Strategic Air Command ' s worldwide bombardment training and air refueling commitments . The wing deployed to RAF Lakenheath , England from 11 November 1955 to 29 January 1956 . Starting in 1960 , the wing maintained B - 47s on ground alert 24 hours a day . From January 1964 to April 1965 , the wing also controlled an SM - 65 Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile ( ICBM ) squadron and was redesignated as the 98th Strategic Aerospace Wing . In the early 1960s , the B - 47 was considered to be reaching obsolescence , and was being phased out of SAC ' s strategic arsenal . Beginning in 1964 , the wing began sending its aircraft to Davis - Monthan AFB . Lincoln AFB was closed and the wing inactivated in 1966 . European Mission . The wing was inactivated on 25 June 1966 at Lincoln AFB , but activated the same day at Torrejon Air Base , Spain replacing the 3970th Strategic Wing ( SW ) . The 3970th SW had been established on 1 July 1957 at Torrejon as the 3970th Air Base Group to support B - 47 and KC - 135 elements from SAC CONUS - based units deployed to Europe as part of REFLEX deployments and provide a refueling mission to USAFE tactical fighters . Until 1 April 1966 , when SAC transferred Torrejon to USAFE , the 3970th also acted as the host base organization for all USAF units at Torrejon . The group was assigned seven support squadrons and a hospital to carry out its mission . It was redesignated the 3970th Combat Support Group on 1 June 1959 and upgraded to wing status on 1 February 1964 . In 1966 , SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue the 3970th SW ( a MAJCON wing ) and activate an AFCON wing which could continue the lineage and history of a combat wing . On 5 June 1966 , the 3970th SW was replaced by the 98th Strategic Wing , which assumed the personnel , equipment , and mission of the 3970th Strategic Wing , For the next decade , the 98th had no tactical aircraft components assigned to it , but rather used attached Boeing KC - 135 Stratotanker s and crews furnished by other SAC wings to provide air refueling support for the operational , alert exercise commitment of SAC , Tactical Air Command , United States Air Forces Europe and NATO . These aircraft were deployed on temporary duty as the Spanish Tanker Task Force . The wing ’ s operational area included the Eastern Atlantic Ocean , most of Europe , North Africa and the Middle East . The Wing maintained a detachment at RAF Upper Heyford ( relocated to RAF Mildenhall in April 1970 ) supporting RC - 135 Reconnaissance Aircraft , and supporting KC - 135 Tankers deployed from the Spanish Tanker Task Force . In October 1976 , the 306th Strategic Wing , based at Ramstein AB , West Germany assumed this support task and the 98th phased down at Torrejon and was inactivated 31 December 1976 . Post Cold War . In October 2001 , the wing was redesignated the 98th Range Wing and began operating the range facilities of the Air Warfare Center from Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada . It replaced the 99th Range Group and 99th Range Squadron of the host unit at Nellis , the 99th Air Base Wing . Its mission is to provide a flexible and realistic " battle space " to support training , testing , and tactics development , for which it controls the airspace over 12 , 000 square nautical miles , 7 , 000 of which are shared with civilian aircraft . The NTTR supports Department of Defense ( DOD ) advanced composite force training , tactics development , and electronic combat testing as well as DOD and Department of Energy testing , research , and development . It acts as the single point of contact for range customers . In June 2011 , the wing was redesignated Nevada Test and Training Range and its operational groups were replaced by directorates . Constituted as 98th Bombardment Wing , Medium on 28 May 1948 Lineage . Components . Groups Operational Squadrons Support Squadrons Detachments References . Bibliography . Additional Reading Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4