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.
| Ellsworth Air Force Base | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Near Rapid City, South Dakota in United States of America | |||||||
A Rockwell B-1B Lancer taking off from Ellsworth AFB | |||||||
Ellsworth AFB Location Ellsworth AFB Ellsworth AFB (the United States) Ellsworth AFB Ellsworth AFB (South Dakota) | |||||||
| Coordinates | 44°08′47″N 103°04′29″W | ||||||
| Type | US Air Force base | ||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Department of Defense | ||||||
| Operator | US Air Force | ||||||
| Controlled by | Air Force Global Strike Command | ||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||
| Website | www.ellsworth.af.mil | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1941 (as Rapid City Army Air Base) | ||||||
| In use | 1941 – present | ||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||
| Garrison | 28th Bomb Wing | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: RCA, ICAO: KRCA, FAA LID: RCA, WMO: 726625 | ||||||
| Elevation | 998.5 metres (3,276 ft) AMSL | ||||||
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| Source: Federal Aviation Administration | |||||||
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. 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.