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Ellsworth Air Force Base was established on January 2, 1942 by the U.S. War Department. Originally known as Rapid City Army Air Base, its primary purpose was to train the pilots, gunners, radio operators, and navigators needed for B-17 Flying Fortress crews. From the time that its runways opened in September 1942 until July 1945, when the base's mission changed, thousands of crew members were trained with the aim of defeating the Axis powers in Europe.

 

Following World War II, the base was tasked with the training of combat and weather reconnaissance squadrons using B-25 Mitchell, P-38 Lightning, P-51 Mustang, and P-61 Black Widow aircraft. Rapid City Army Air Field was closed from September 1946 until March 1947 when it was reopened under the command of the United States Air Force. The 28^th Bombardment Wing (BMW) flying the B-29 Superfortress was the primary unit assigned to Rapid City Air Force Base. In early 1948 the base was recognized as a permanent installation.

 

Rapid City Air Force Base underwent a number of name changes in its early years. In January of 1948 it was renamed Weaver Air Force Base by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Carl A. Spaatz. This name was chosen in honor of Brig. Gen. Walter R. Weaver who was a pioneer in the development of the Air Force. However, overwhelming response on the part of the public to this name change led Secretary of the Air Force Stuart Symingtom to return it to its previous name in June of the same year.

 

In July 1949 the completion of runway improvements paved the way for conversion by the 28 BMW from B-292 to the much larger B-36 Peacemaker. The base was reassigned from the 15^th Air Force to the 8^th Air Force in April 1950.

 

In March 1953 the base experienced one of its worse tragedies in peacetime when an RB-36 crashed and its entire crew of 23 was lost in Newfoundland returning from a routine exercise in Europe. As a result, on June 13, 1953 President Dwight D. Eisenhower visited the base and dedicated it in memory of the 28^th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing's commander, Brig. Gen. Richard E. Ellsworth, who had lost his life in the accident.

 

National security requirements require all military organizations to upgrade machinery and manpower on a regular basis, and this has been the case with Ellsworth Air Force Base as well. In October 1955 Strategic Air Command (SAC) reassigned the 28 BMW from the 8^th Air Force back to the 15^th Air Force. Approximately one year later, SAC began working to replace the 28th's B-36s with new all-jet B-52 Stratofortresses. On May 29, 1957 the last B-36 left Ellsworth and the B-52s began arriving sixteen days later. In 1958 all units stationed at Ellsworth were brought under the command of the 821^st Strategic Aerospace Division which was headquartered at Ellsworth.

 

Ellsworth entered the Space Age in October 1960 when the 850^th Strategic Missile Squadron was activated. This squadron, which was initially assigned to the 28 BMW, spent over a year preparing for the placement of Titan I intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).  The ICBMs arrived in 1962 shortly after the January activation of the 44^th Strategic Missile Wing (SMC). At the same time Headquarters SAC named the 44 SMW as Ellsworth's host wing.

 

In July 1962, Titan became obselete when the 66^th Strategic Missile Squadrom was activated. This squadron was the first of three such units chosen to operate 150 Minuteman I ICBMs under the 44 SMW. It was followed by the 67^th Strategic Missile Squandron and the 68^th Strategic Missile Squadron which joined the 44 SMW in August and September of 1962 respectively.

 

SAC inactivated the 821^st Strategic Aerospace Division on June 1, 1971. By October of 1971obsolete missiles were replaced by an upgraded Minuteman II.

 

Ellsworth became known as “The Showplace of SAC” as it fought the Cold War through its dual mission of strategic bombardment and ICBMs. These missions continued with little change for 15 years. However the 1980s brought new challenges, and in 1986 preparations were made by the 28 BMW and the base to phase out the B-52 fleet and house the B-1B Lancer. Unaccompanied enlisted dorms were built in March, followed by the completion of a new security police group headquarters in October, a facelift for Ellsworth's 13,497 foot runway, and new aircraft maintenance facilities. The final BMW B-52H left Ellsworth in early 1986, and in January 1987 the first of 35 B-1B bombers arrived.

 

On July 15, 1988 the 12^th Air Division relocated to Ellsworth. This division was tasked with the training of B-1B, transient B-52 and the 28th's KC-135 Stratotanker aircrews. A third wing, the 99^th Strategic Weapons Wing, was activated at Ellsworth on August 10, 1989. This wing was given the responsibility of advanced aircrew training for B-1Bs and B-52s.

 

Change came quickly to Ellsworth in the aftermath of the destruction of the Berlin Wall in October of 1989. The approaching demise of the Soviet Union precipitated a need for the Air Force to reshuffle its resources and organizations to meet a shifting and deminishing international threat. For a short time beginning on January 3, 1990, the 812th Combat Support Group was redesignated as the 812th Strategic Support Wing (SWW) and became Ellsworth's fourth wing. The 812^th SWW combined all combat support activities into one organization. In July of the same year SAC replaced the 12^th Air Division with the Strategic Warfare Center (SWC). SWC provided administrative control and operational command over the subordinate units of Ellworth Air Force Base. SAC's base reorganization plan then led to the renaming, on September 1, 1991, of the 28 BMW to the 28^th Wing, the 44 SMW to the 44^th Wing, and the 99 SWW to the 99^th Tactics and Training Wing. Both the SWC and the 812^th SSW were inactivated ten days later. The 28^th then resumed its place as Ellsworths' host organization and quickly took over all functions of the 812^th SSW. During this period as a result of the elimination of the Warsaw Pact, alert operations were ordered to stand down. The Cold War officially ended.

 

The first large-scale reorganization of the USAF occurred on June 1, 1992. As a result SAC was inactivated and Ellsworth's organizations (among which was the newly renamed 28^th Bomb Wing [BW]) were assigned to the Air Combat Command (ACC).    Over the course of the next year the 28th's mission changed to one of worldwide delivery of conventional weapons. The 99^th Tactics and Training Wing (later known as the 99^th Wing) continued with only slight modifications. However, the 44^th Missile Wing had accomplished its mission of deterence and on December 3, 1991, began permanently removing the first of its missiles from their silos. Their first launch control center was shut down on April 6, 1994, and the missile complex was deactivated in April 1994. This led to the deactivation of the 44^th Missile Wing on July 4, 1994.

 

The 34^th Bomb Squadron, which was separated from its parent organization at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho while awaiting airfield upgrades, joined Ellsworth in March 1994. The 34^{th ,} which includes B-1Bs, F-15 Eagles, F-16 Falcons, and KC-135s, is one of the composite wings of the Air Force.

 

1994 was also the year that Ellsworth was chosen as the site for an operational readiness assessment of the B-1B. This Congressionally-mandated assessment was known locally at the “Dakota Challenge” and demonstrated the B-1 to be both capable and reliable. As a result, the B-1 became a longstanding pillar in the United States' bomber fleet.

 

1995 was a year of change for Ellsworth as its 77^th Bomb Squadron was deactivated. While the organization's aircraft stayed at Ellsworth under the 37^th Bomb Squadron, the departure of this unit provided the Air Force with additional funds for the development of new B-1 munitions. In 1995 Ellsworth's 99^th Wing was also reassigned to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Only a small group that had been attached to that wing remained at Ellsworth to continue their task of radar munitions scoring and bomber tactics training.

 

In 1997 the geographically separated 34^th Bomb Squadron left Ellsworth and returned to its home at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho with the 366^th Wing. The 77^th Bomb Squadron was then returned to Ellsworth. By June 1998, the 77^th had six B-1Bs out of reconstitution reserve, thus balancing those lost by the removal of the 34^th Bomb Squadron.

 

Ellsworth gained prominence within the Air Force in March 1999 when it became partnered with the 28^th Bomb Wing as a part of the Expeditionary Air Force (EAF) concept. As a part of this plan the 28 BW was named lead wing in the EAF, the 77 BS gained six additional B-1Bs, and Ellsworth gained 100 military personnel. The EAF concept was designed to enable the Air Force to response rapidly to any worldwide crisis.

 

During Operation Allied Force Ellsworth's 28^th Bomb Wing demonstrated its value to national security as five of its B-1Bs joined NATO forces in Kosovo on April 1, 1999. By the close of that conflict in June 1999 Ellsworth's B-1Bs had flown 100 combat missions and released over 1,260 tons of Mk-82 bombs.

In the aftermath of terrorist activities on September 11, 2001, Ellsworth's B-1s were once again deployed as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 34^th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (EBS) was formed by combining aircraft from Ellsworth's 37^th BS with B-1s from the 34^th BS at Mountain Home AFB. The 34^th EBS along with support personnel from Ellsworth joined the 28^th Air Expeditionary Wing (EBW) at Diego Garcia. Ellsworth's troops again demonstrated their value with a combat mission effectiveness of over 95%. They flew 5% of the total strike aircraft missions and dropped 39% of the total tonnage of bombs (more than any other platform). During Operation Enduring Freedom, the 28^th EBW dropped 2,974 JDAMs, 1,471 Mk-82, 135 Mk-84, and 70 CBU-87 bombs. At this time, Ellsworth's 29^th Bomb Wing continues to be the primary wing for the AEF 8 and continually prepare for deployment in support of operations in any part of the world.

 

September 2001 saw the inactivation of the 77^th BS at Ellsworth due to the decrease in Air Force inventory of B-1s. The “Thunderbirds” of the 34^th Bomb Squadron from Mountain Home AFB in Idaho were reassigned to Ellsworth at that time.

 

The core values of “Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do” strengthen the men and women of Ellsworth AFB as they prepare to stand in defense of America's freedom!