RED FLAG, Weapons School support, Green Flag, and the steady churn of test and evaluation make Nellis one of the busiest TDY destinations in the Air Force — and Las Vegas one of the most seasonal per diem localities in the country. Here's the money side of a Nellis TDY.
The Las Vegas rate is seasonal
GSA publishes different lodging caps for Las Vegas by month, and the swing is large — the winter convention season runs well above the summer rate. A three-week exercise that straddles a rate change gets two caps, night by night. Pull your dates in the per diem calculator or read the month table on the Nellis per diem page before you book anything.
On-base first, then the non-A
Nellis lodging fills to the walls during RED FLAG. Get the non-availability number the day your orders drop — here's the process — and compare the published on-base rate for your dates with the on-base calculator. Off base, a house in the northeast valley at the cap beats a Strip hotel that charges a resort fee your AO won't reimburse.
Where to stay
- Northeast Las Vegas / Sunrise Manor — closest to the main gate, 10–15 minutes.
- North Las Vegas (Aliante, Centennial) — newer homes, 20 minutes, the family-friendly pick.
- Henderson / the Strip — 35–50 minutes at show time and resort fees. Skip it on orders.
Our Silver State House (five bedrooms, five baths) was set up for exactly this: a full exercise crew under one roof, priced at the cap, itemized receipts at checkout, and 25 minutes to Creech for the RPA community.
The Creech angle
Creech AFB has no lodging market of its own — Indian Springs is a gas station — so Creech TDYs lodge in Las Vegas on the Las Vegas rate. The northwest side (Centennial Hills) splits the difference between Creech and Nellis.
M&IE in Las Vegas
Las Vegas M&IE is at the high end of the CONUS scale. With a kitchen, most of it stays in your account; with three weeks of Strip dinners, none of it does. Details on how M&IE works are in TDY per diem, explained; the Nellis guide covers gates, the commute, and what to do on a Saturday that isn't a casino.