Golden Coyote exercise to impact base

  • Published
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Approximately 300 members of the National Guard will be operating out of Ellsworth June 8 to 22 as part of the South Dakota National Guard's 29th annual training exercise, Golden Coyote.

Base Airmen and their families should be prepared for increased military vehicle traffic, especially at the intersection of West Gate Road and Highway 14-16 when leaving the base. Motorists are encouraged to utilize Exit 67B and access Interstate 90 at that point.

Golden Coyote provides military units with relevant training opportunities in support of overseas contingency operations and homeland defense.

Created in the mid 1980s by the SDNG, with the cooperation of the National Forest Service and Custer State Park, this year's Golden Coyote training exercise will allow more than 3,500 service members to conduct combat support and combat service support missions in a realistic training environment and provide valuable services to the public.

There will be 55 military units representing 11 states and four foreign nations participating in the exercise and from multiple branches of military service - Army, Navy and Air Force - working together to create an invaluable training experience. Participating units train on their equipment and employ tactics, as well as complete various engineer projects that help improve the forest and infrastructure of many local communities.

Missions for the 2013 Golden Coyote training exercise are conducted throughout the Black Hills and the surrounding area, both in local urban areas and remote wilderness sites.

For more information about Golden Coyote, contact Maj. Angela King-Sweigart, Golden Coyote Public Affairs Officer, at (717) 821-7486, or Maj. Anthony Deiss, SDARNG State Public Affairs Officer, via phone at (605) 431-8753 or by e-mail at anthony.deiss@us.army.mil.

For more information about Ellsworth's participation, call the 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs Office at (605) 385-5056.