Rapid City Air Force Base

Ellsworth Air Force Base
Part of Global Strike Command (GSC)
Located near: Box Elder, South Dakota
A B-1 Lancer from the 28th Bomb Wing practices "touch and go" procedures at Ellsworth Air Force Base
Coordinates	44°08′47″N 103°04′29″W / 44.14639°N 103.07472°W / 44.14639; -103.07472 (Ellsworth AFB)
Site information
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1942
In use	1942–present
Garrison information
Garrison	28th Bomb Wing

Airfield information
IATA: RCA ICAO: KRCA FAA LID: RCA
Summary
Elevation AMSL	3,280 ft / 1,000 m
Coordinates	44°08′47″N 103°04′29″W / 44.14639°N 103.07472°W / 44.14639; -103.07472Coordinates: 44°08′47″N 103°04′29″W / 44.14639°N 103.07472°W / 44.14639; -103.07472
Website	www.ellsworth.af.mil
Map
KRCA Location of Ellsworth Air Force Base
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 13/31 13,497 4,114 Concrete

Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) (IATA: RCA, ICAO: KRCA, FAA LID: RCA) is a United States Air Force base located approximately 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota.

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 only two B-1B Lancer strategic bomber wings in the United States Air Force, the other being the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas. Since 2015 the 28th Bomb Wing is commanded by Colonel Gentry Boswell and its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Adam Vizi. A controversial expansion of a bomber training area encompassing the Northern Plains known as the Powder River Training Complex began in 2008.

Ellsworth AFB is 10 miles east of Rapid City, S.D. The relationship between Ellsworth and Rapid City is exemplified by Ellsworth's main entrance, a gift from the citizens of Rapid City, constructed to symbolize a B-52 Stratofortress, one of the aircraft formerly flown by the 28th Bomb Wing.

The mission of the 28th Bomb Wing is to deliver combat power for global military response. It is divided into the 28th Operations Group, the 28th Maintenance Group, the 28th Mission Support Group and the 28th Medical Group.

Ellsworth's population of approximately 8,000 includes military members, family members and civilian employees. The base's sister city, Rapid City, has a population of just more than 62,500. There are about 3,800 military retirees in Western South Dakota.

Units assigned to Ellsworth are: