28th Bomb Wing to join Air Force Global Strike Command

  • Published
  • By 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  The 28th Bomb Wing will transition from Air Combat Command to Air Force Global Strike Command as part of a realignment directed by the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, effective Oct. 1, 2015.

B-1 bombers from Ellsworth and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, in addition to the Long Range Strike-Bomber program, will all fall under AFGSC, realigning the Air Force's core mission of global strike and all of the service's bombers under a unified command responsible for organizing, training and equipping Airmen to perform this mission.

"This realignment places all three Air Forces bombers under one command and brings the LRS-B program with it," said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. "Consolidating all of our Air Force assets in this critical mission area under a single command will help provide a unified voice to maintain the high standards necessary in stewardship of our nation's bomber forces."

According to a news release published by the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs office, 63 aircraft and approximately 7,000 people will transfer from ACC to AFGSC under the realignment. Since moving from Strategic Air Command in 1992, the B-1 has played an essential role in combating the nation's enemies, either projecting combat power from bases in the United States or from forward operating locations around the globe. 

Airmen who drive B-1 operations have demonstrated the platform's long range strike capability, delivering its conventional weapons on target from home station, making it a perfect fit for joining the B-2 and B-52 under AFGSC, James said.

"With a single command responsible for the Air Force's entire long range strike fleet, the Airmen in AFGSC will benefit from better coordination and increased sharing of expertise across the five bomber wings," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. "Consolidating all conventional and nuclear capable bombers within the same command allows the Air Force to streamline the global strike and strategic deterrence missions, and create a lasting positive impact for the Air Force's global strike capabilities."

"We expect the transfer to be imperceptible to the majority of Airmen at Dyess and Ellsworth as they will continue to work for the same supervisors and units," said Lt. Gen. Steven Wilson, Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, who was recently nominated to serve as the vice commander of U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt AFB, Neb.

Both the 28th BW and the 7th BW at Dyess will continue to serve as the host wings and provide installation support and services to other units on the bases.

"Our overall mission set will not change," said Col. Kevin Kennedy, 28th BW commander. "We will continue to provide expeditionary combat power and global strike capabilities in support of the U.S Central Command area of responsibility, and other combatant commanders, as needed to defend the Nation and our Allies."

Wilson added that "the impacts of the realignment will become noticeable over time as crosstalk among maintainers and aviators increases across all three platforms, creating opportunities in training, tactics development, doctrine development, aircraft modernization and acquisition."

The consolidation of the global strike mission under AFGSC follows the Air Force's plan to elevate the commander of AFGSC from a three-star to a four-star general officer position, which Gen. Robin Rand, currently the commander of Air Education and Training Command, will assume.

"As a former 12th Air Force Commander, General Rand commanded Ellsworth and Dyess Air Force Bases.  He is very familiar with our mission and our Airmen.  I do not expect us to miss a beat as we move from 12th Air Force and ACC into 8th Air Force and AFGSC," Kennedy said.

"We look forward to more frequent coordination and sharing of best practices with the other Airmen that make the global strike mission possible," added Kennedy. "The increased opportunities for training and tactics, techniques and procedures development will benefit all three bomber communities. The B-1 came of age during the 28th BW's time in ACC and as we transition into AFGSC we will build on that success and grow our global strike capabilities, while ensuring we maintain our focus on winning the fight our Airmen are in today."