Ellsworth Air Force Base

Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation located northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota. Established in 1941 as Rapid City Army Air Base, it was later renamed in 1953 in memory of Brigadier General Richard E. Ellsworth. The base is owned by the Department of Defense and operated by the US Air Force, under the control of Air Force Global Strike Command. It has been continuously operational since its establishment.

Throughout its history, Ellsworth AFB has hosted various units and aircraft. During World War II, it served as a training base for B-17 Flying Fortress units. In the postwar era, it accommodated B-29 Superfortresses and later the B-36 Peacemaker with the 28th Bombardment Wing. From 1960 to 1994, it was a crucial site for intercontinental ballistic missiles, first with HGM-25A Titan I and then LGM-30 Minuteman I and II missiles under the 44th Strategic Missile Wing. Air Defense Command also operated a radar site and Nike missile batteries for base defense during the Cold War.

Since 1987, Ellsworth AFB has been a primary base for the B-1B Lancer bomber. The host unit is the 28th Bomb Wing, which includes the 34th and 37th Bomb Squadrons, operating B-1B Lancers. The 89th Attack Squadron, operating MQ-9A Reaper drones, is also based there as a Geographically Separate Unit. Ellsworth AFB has participated in combat operations such as Operation Allied Force and Operation Enduring Freedom, where its B-1Bs delivered a significant tonnage of munitions. The base is also the preferred location to host the first operational B-21 Raider bomber unit and its formal training unit in the mid-2020s. Ellsworth AFB is a military Superfund site due to historical environmental contamination, with ongoing cleanup efforts.