Ellsworth Air Force Base

Ellsworth Air Force Base
Near Rapid City, South Dakota in United States of America
A Rockwell B-1B Lancer taking off from Ellsworth AFB
A Rockwell B-1B Lancer taking off from Ellsworth AFB
Ellsworth AFB is located in North America
Ellsworth AFB
Ellsworth AFB
Location
Ellsworth AFB is located in the United States
Ellsworth AFB
Ellsworth AFB
Ellsworth AFB (the United States)
Ellsworth AFB is located in South Dakota
Ellsworth AFB
Ellsworth AFB
Ellsworth AFB (South Dakota)
Coordinates44°08′47″N 103°04′29″W / 44.14639°N 103.07472°W / 44.14639; -103.07472 (Ellsworth AFB)
TypeUS Air Force base
Site information
OwnerDepartment of Defense
OperatorUS Air Force
Controlled byAir Force Global Strike Command
ConditionOperational
Websitewww.ellsworth.af.mil
Site history
Built1941 (1941) (as Rapid City Army Air Base)
In use1941 – present
Garrison information
Garrison28th Bomb Wing
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: RCA, ICAO: KRCA, FAA LID: RCA, WMO: 726625
Elevation998.5 metres (3,276 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
13/31 4,113.8 metres (13,497 ft) concrete
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

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;[2] its command chief master sergeant was Chief Master Sergeant Adam Vizi.[3]

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.[citation needed]

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]

  1. ^ "Airport Diagram – Ellsworth AFB (KRCA)" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 20 June 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Colonel Derek Oakley". US AirForce. July 2023. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  3. ^ "CMSgt Adam Vizi". US AirForce. December 2016. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2015.