B-1Bs celebrate 20 years at Ellsworth Published Sept. 21, 2007 By Staff Sgt. Eric J. Bolt 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs ELLSWORTH AFB, S.D. -- Ellsworth has been the home to many airframes since it first opened as Rapid City Army Air Base in January 1942. Airframes such as the P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning, B-36 Peacemaker, B-52 Stratofortress, and most recently, the B-1B Lancer, have called the parking ramps of Ellsworth's flightline home. The B-1 has sat on these ramps since January 1987. The B-1 carries the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory. This multi-mission aircraft is the backbone of America's long-range bomber force. It can deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any time. "The B-1 comes out of nowhere, and the enemy won't know what hit them until the aircraft is gone," said Senior Master Sgt. Don Small, 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron production superintendent. "A show of force, which is simply flying over the enemy without releasing any weapons, is often enough to stop the enemy in their tracks." During the late 80s and early 90s Ellsworth was the show place of Strategic Air Command, housing two legs of America's strategic triad: strategic bombardment and intercontinental-ballistic missiles. In 1986, Ellsworth and the 28th Bombardment Wing made numerous changes to accommodate the arrival of the B-1s. Contractors completed new unaccompanied dormitories, a new security police headquarters, new aircraft maintenance facilities, and Ellsworth's 13,497-foot runway received a much needed facelift. The first of 35 B-1s arrived in January 1987. Through the early years, the B-1 was either up in the air on a training mission or sitting on the nuclear alert ramp prepared to defend the United States from a nuclear threat during the Cold War. SAC was deactivated in June 1992 marking the conclusion of the Cold War. The B-1 and Ellsworth were assigned to the newly activated Air Combat Command. As the Cold War ended, the B-1 transformed the type of munitions carried to better meet new roles. "When the B-1 transitioned from a nuclear platform to conventional, it opened up numerous doors for the airframe," said Lt. Col. Kurt Hunsaker, 37th Bomb Squadron commander. "The B-1 could finally start to live up to its potential." In 1995, Boeing completed hardware and software enhancements to accommodate a range of conventional gravity weapons such as cluster bombs. This change signified the change from a nuclear to conventional platform. Other B-1 upgrades include advanced global positioning satellite navigation, towed decoy countermeasures, joint direct attack munitions, joint air-to-surface stand-off missile and the unique flexibility to employ three types of weapons simultaneously. "The modifications of the B-1 continue to improve a weapons system that is already Central Air Force's 'weapon of choice'," said Sergeant Small. It took a long 11 years for the B-1 to be used in a combat operation, but in December 1998 that would be changed, as the B-1 began to work toward earning the reputation as the backbone of America's long-range bomber force. The B-1 was first used in combat in support of Operation Desert Fox in Iraq where it penetrated Iraqi air defenses to strike enemy targets. Since Operation Dessert Fox, the B-1 has supported Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and the global war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. The 28th Bomb Wing will celebrate the Air Force's 60th birthday and the anniversary of the B-1's arrival Sept 22 at the Air Force Ball.