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Ellsworth Air Force Base
Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) (IATA: RCA, ICAO: KRCA, FAA LID: RCA) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder.
The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assigned to the Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force, the 28 BW is one of the USAF's two B-1B Lancer wings, along with the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas. In 2023, the 28th Bomb Wing is commanded by Colonel Derek Oakley; its command chief master sergeant was Chief Master Sergeant Adam Vizi.
Ellsworth has a population of about 8,000 military members, family members and civilian employees. Rapid City itself has a population of 78,824. There are about 3,800 military retirees in western South Dakota.
For decades, Ellsworth's main entrance included a symbolic B-52 Stratofortress, a gift from the citizens of Rapid City.[citation needed] This entrance has recently been replaced.
An expansion of a bomber training area encompassing the Northern Plains known as the Powder River Training Complex began in 2008.[citation needed]
Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base (AAB). It was later renamed for Brigadier General Richard E. Ellsworth (1911–1953), a 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing commander killed when his RB-36 Peacemaker aircraft crashed near Burgoyens Cove, Newfoundland, during a training flight.
On 2 January 1942 during World War II, the United States War Department established Rapid City Army Air Base to train B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber units to fight the Axis in Europe. The control tower opened on 30 September 1942; runways, quarters, offices, and facilities were complete on 1 October 1942, and five hangars were completed in late 1942. The airfield had three concrete runways, 7050x300 (N/S), 7000x300 (E/W), and 7872x300 (NW/SE). Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command. The 88th Bombardment Group was reassigned to the new base in October 1942 to be the base's Operational Training Unit.
In March 1944, the 225th Army Air Force Base Unit switched from training entire units to training individual replacement personnel to send to units deployed overseas. The field's instructors taught thousands of pilots, navigators, radio operators and gunners from nine heavy bombardment groups and numerous smaller units. On 15 July 1945, the 225th AAFBU was inactivated and Rapid City AAB was placed on standby status as the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) began to demobilize.
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Ellsworth Air Force Base
Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) (IATA: RCA, ICAO: KRCA, FAA LID: RCA) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder.
The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assigned to the Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force, the 28 BW is one of the USAF's two B-1B Lancer wings, along with the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas. In 2023, the 28th Bomb Wing is commanded by Colonel Derek Oakley; its command chief master sergeant was Chief Master Sergeant Adam Vizi.
Ellsworth has a population of about 8,000 military members, family members and civilian employees. Rapid City itself has a population of 78,824. There are about 3,800 military retirees in western South Dakota.
For decades, Ellsworth's main entrance included a symbolic B-52 Stratofortress, a gift from the citizens of Rapid City.[citation needed] This entrance has recently been replaced.
An expansion of a bomber training area encompassing the Northern Plains known as the Powder River Training Complex began in 2008.[citation needed]
Ellsworth AFB was established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base (AAB). It was later renamed for Brigadier General Richard E. Ellsworth (1911–1953), a 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing commander killed when his RB-36 Peacemaker aircraft crashed near Burgoyens Cove, Newfoundland, during a training flight.
On 2 January 1942 during World War II, the United States War Department established Rapid City Army Air Base to train B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber units to fight the Axis in Europe. The control tower opened on 30 September 1942; runways, quarters, offices, and facilities were complete on 1 October 1942, and five hangars were completed in late 1942. The airfield had three concrete runways, 7050x300 (N/S), 7000x300 (E/W), and 7872x300 (NW/SE). Rapid City AAF was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Training Wing, II Bomber Command. The 88th Bombardment Group was reassigned to the new base in October 1942 to be the base's Operational Training Unit.
In March 1944, the 225th Army Air Force Base Unit switched from training entire units to training individual replacement personnel to send to units deployed overseas. The field's instructors taught thousands of pilots, navigators, radio operators and gunners from nine heavy bombardment groups and numerous smaller units. On 15 July 1945, the 225th AAFBU was inactivated and Rapid City AAB was placed on standby status as the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) began to demobilize.