This weekend, I will be joining local leaders, base officials, past and present Airmen and members of the community in Rapid City to mark the 70th anniversary of Ellsworth Air Force Base. It’s hard to overstate the impact that the base has had on our state over the last seven decades. Not only has it helped keep our nation’s military strong, but as the largest employer in Western South Dakota, the base has had a positive impact across South Dakota.
A lot has changed since the Rapid City Army Air Base opened in 1942. At the time, the base served as a training location for B-17 Flying Fortress crews and thousands of pilots, navigators, radio operators, and gunners trained there during World War II. Over the years, the base has adapted and grown to support new missions, but a reminder of its early days remains in the PRIDE hangar. This historic building was completed in 1949 to house the B-36 Peacemakers and later was home to the 44th Strategic Missile Wing and the 77th Bomb Squadron.
The 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base has been home to such impressive aircraft as the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-29 Superfortress, the B-36 Peacemaker, the B-52 Stratofortress, and, for the past 25 years, the B-1B Lancer. All these planes have graced the skies of Western South Dakota, offering South Dakotans a visual and audial reminder of the power of the United States Air Force.
Ellsworth has played an important role in every major conflict since World War II, including flying over 6,000 combat sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Enduring Freedom. On March 20, 2011, history was made as the first ever B-1B combat sorties launched directly from the United States to strike targets overseas were launched at Ellsworth and hit targets in Libya.
The base has become a part of the fabric of our state. Rapid City, Box Elder, and communities throughout the Black Hills have enjoyed a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship with the base. This is something that, unfortunately, cannot be said at every military installation.
This was evident in 1972, when base personnel assisted in the recovery and relief efforts when historic flooding struck Rapid City. When snowstorms crippled the region in 1949 and 1950, Ellsworth personnel airlifted food and hay bales to stranded ranchers and livestock. Today, personnel from Ellsworth contribute to many charitable efforts in the community, such as helping with the United Way’s annual Day of Caring and the Children’s Miracle Network.
As we reflect on the base’s 70th year, we cannot lose sight of all of the dedicated Airmen, past and present, that have served at Ellsworth. The Air Force is only as strong as its members, and Ellsworth has seen many talented, patriotic individuals over the past seven decades. Many former Wing Commanders have gone on to serve in top positions in the Air Force, including as Commanders of U.S. Transportation Command, Air Education and Training Command, and Air Force Global Strike Command.
I want to congratulate the brave men and women, past and present, that have made Ellsworth a world-class facility. This tradition will continue with the arrival of the MQ-9 Reaper mission later this year. It hasn’t always been easy, but together with local and state officials, they have helped the base thrive for 70 years, and continue to contribute to our state and the security of the country.
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