ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- Ellsworth Air Force Base is preparing to make history as the first main operating base for the B-21 Raider. While pilots and maintainers study the schematics of the next-generation stealth bomber, the 28th Security Forces Squadron is undergoing a massive transformation of its own. For these Defenders, the arrival of the Department of War's newest strategic asset means a fundamental evolution in how they execute the Integrated Defense mission.
The shift from protecting the conventional B-1B Lancer to securing a highly classified, dual-capable bomber requires a paradigm shift in both mindset and methodology. To prepare, Ellsworth's Defenders are completely overhauling their training pipelines, focusing heavily on advanced threat detection, multi-domain awareness, and rapid tactical response.
"The B-21 Raider represents the future of our nation's strategic deterrence, and the security apparatus protecting it has to be equally advanced," said Lt. Col. Michael Olson, 28th Security Forces Squadron commander. "We are not just updating our standard operating procedures. We are completely reimagining flightline defense to counter the modern capabilities of near-peer adversaries, ensuring this critical asset is protected long before it ever leaves the ground."
Training scenarios at Ellsworth have become increasingly complex. Security Forces are aggressively incorporating counter-small, unmanned aircraft systems (C-sUAS) protocols to neutralize drone threats. They are also learning to integrate their tactical responses with cutting-edge perimeter sensors, thermal imaging, and automated intrusion detection systems that are being installed alongside the new B-21 infrastructure.
Because the Raider will eventually include the strategic deterrence mission, Security Forces at Ellsworth are also training to the uncompromising requirements of the Nuclear Weapons Security Standard. This means grueling, high-intensity exercises designed to test specialized recapture and recovery tactics, heavily armed response times, and the absolute denial of unauthorized access.
"Our Defenders are training for a 'no-fail' environment every single day," noted MSgt. Jared Lowrie, 28th Security Forces Squadron training section. "The technology we are deploying on the perimeter is state-of-the-art, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the Defender on the flightline. We are pushing our personnel to their physical and mental limits so that their response is second nature. Our training ensures they are the most lethal and capable security asset we have."
Beyond human capital, the Defenders face the unique challenge of securing a base in transition. The massive construction of specialized shelters, low-observable maintenance facilities, and environmental structures for the B-21 requires Security Forces to actively protect dynamic construction zones while simultaneously maintaining the uncompromised integrity of existing restricted areas.
As the new hangars rise and the base transforms, the Defenders of the 28th Security Forces Squadron remain vigilant. Their ongoing evolution guarantees that when the B-21 Raider finally touches down on the South Dakota flightline, it will be protected by a modernized, intelligence-driven, and relentlessly trained security force.