Press Releases

Squadron Commander Relieved
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. – Lt. Col. Carsten Stahr, commander of the 28th Force Support Squadron here, was relieved of command Sept. 11 by Col. Derek Oakley, 28th Bomb Wing commander, due to loss of trust and confidence in Stahr's ability to lead the squadron. 
 
Base Conducting Raider Reach Exercise Sept. 9-23
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. – Ellsworth personnel are scheduled to participate in a base-wide exercise Sept. 9-23 intended to assess the ability of the 28th Bomb Wing to respond, react, and adapt in various scenarios.
During the exercise, residents on or near the installation may hear announcements over the base’s “giant voice” system, sirens, simulated gunfire, explosions, and see smoke and response vehicles.
The exercise may impact traffic entering and exiting the installation. Individuals are encouraged to plan to arrive early for appointments and call in advance to ensure services are not impacted.
For more information, contact the 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs office at (605) 385-5056, or by emailing 28bw.public.affairs@us.af.mil.

Base Conducting Raider Reach Exercise Sept. 9-23
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. – Ellsworth personnel are scheduled to participate in a base-wide exercise Sept. 9-23 intended to assess the ability of the 28th Bomb Wing to respond, react, and adapt in various scenarios.
During the exercise, residents on or near the installation may hear announcements over the base’s “giant voice” system, sirens, simulated gunfire, explosions, and see smoke and response vehicles.
The exercise may impact traffic entering and exiting the installation. Individuals are encouraged to plan to arrive early for appointments and call in advance to ensure services are not impacted.
For more information, contact the 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs office at (605) 385-5056, or by emailing 28bw.public.affairs@us.af.mil.

B-1B Flyover Part of Days of 76 Celebration
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. – The 28th Bomb Wing is scheduled to conduct a B-1B flyover in support of the Days of 76 Rodeo in Deadwood. The flyover is scheduled, weather permitting, on July 24 at 7 p.m.B-1 flyovers are part of an approved training missions. Residents living near the event and the surrounding community could experience an increased noise level related to the flyover. Individuals who witness the flyover are encouraged to share their photos and videos on Ellsworth Air Force Base’s official Facebook and Instagram pages available at: www.Facebook.com/ellsworthairforcebase and @ellsworthafb on Instagram. For more information, contact the 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs office at (605) 385-5056, or via email at 28bw.public.affairs@us.af.mil.

Base Conducting Exercise July 24 - 25
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. – Ellsworth security personnel are scheduled to conduct an exercise July 24-25 intended to evaluate the ability of the 28th Bomb Wing to respond to a variety of situations. During the exercise, residents on or near the installation may hear announcements over the base’s “giant voice” system, sirens, simulated gunfire, explosions and see smoke and response vehicles. The exercise is not expected to impact traffic entering and exiting the installation. However, individuals are encouraged to plan to arrive early for appointments and call in advance to ensure appointments and services are not impacted. For more information, contact the 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs office at (605) 385-5056, or via email at 28bw.public.affairs@us.af.mil.

Base Conducting Exercise July 16-18
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. – Ellsworth security personnel are scheduled to conduct an exercise July 16-18 intended to evaluate the ability of the 28th Bomb Wing to respond to a variety of situations. During the exercise, residents on or near the installation may hear announcements over the base’s “giant voice” system, sirens, simulated gunfire, explosions and see smoke and response vehicles. The exercise is not expected to impact traffic entering and exiting the installation. However, individuals are encouraged to plan to arrive early for appointments and call in advance to ensure appointments and services are not impacted. For more information, contact the 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs office at (605) 385-5056, or via email at 28bw.public.affairs@us.af.mil.

Ellsworth conducting response exercise Apr 17
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. – The 28th Bomb Wing will be conducting an active shooter response exercise today, Apr. 17, intended to evaluate the ability of the 28th Bomb Wing to respond to an emergency situation on the installation. During the exercise, residents on or near the installation may hear announcements over the base’s “giant voice” system and sirens, and see response vehicles. All assigned personnel, family members and visitors are required to take appropriate actions. No interference in traffic is expected. For more information, contact the 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs office at (605) 385-5056, or via email at 28bw.public.affairs@us.af.mil.



Press Releases

B-21 Public Virtual Hearings Scheduled

  • Published
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  

The Air Force will host a series of virtual public hearings in October to allow members of the public to learn about the B-21 “Raider” project and provide comments.

The Department of Defense is developing a new bomber aircraft, the B-21 “Raider,” which will eventually replace B-1 and B-2 bomber aircraft. The Air Force intends to beddown B-21 aircraft through a series of three basing decisions: Main Operating Base (MOB) 1, MOB 2 and MOB 3.

A Notice of Availability (NOA) has been published in the Federal Register announcing that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the B-21 MOB 1 Beddown at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, or Dyess AFB, Texas, is now available for public review. This Draft EIS considers the Air Force proposal for MOB 1 to host B-21 Operational Squadrons, a B-21 Formal Training Unit, and a Weapons Generation Facility. The publication of the NOA on September 25, 2020, begins a 46-day public comment period, which will end on November 9, 2020.

The Air Force is also providing early notice of compliance with Executive Order (EO) 11990, Protection of Wetlands, and EO 11988, Floodplain Management. State and federal regulatory agencies with special expertise in wetlands and floodplains have been contacted to request comment.

In compliance with the Centers for Disease Control best practices to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Air Force has decided to host four virtual public hearings to allow members of the public to learn about the project and provide verbal public comments. The virtual hearings will provide an overview of the Draft EIS, including a description of the project’s alternatives and the associated potential environmental impacts.

The public hearings will be held on the following dates and times. Of note, two public hearings will be held in Mountain Standard Time (MST) to accommodate South Dakota residents and two public hearings will be held in Central Standard Time (CST) to accommodate Texas residents. The content will be the same at all virtual hearings, and are open to all members of the public.

•Tuesday, October 13, 2020, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. CST
•Thursday, October 15, 2020, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. CST
•Tuesday, October 20, 2020, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. MST
•Thursday, October 22, 2020, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. MST

To register to attend a virtual public hearing and sign-up to provide a verbal comment, visit www.B21EIS.com. Meeting links and instructions will be distributed after registering and prior to all virtual public hearings. All public hearings can be accessed by phone at 1-877-853-5247, Meeting ID: 813 4560 9980, Meeting Password: 0903275.

The Draft EIS and supporting materials are available for download on the project website at www.B21EIS.com. In the event that alternate arrangements need to be made for delivery of printed or hard copy materials, please send a request via the public website or contact the 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs Office at Ellsworth AFB at 605-385-5056, or after hours at 605-391-7436.

Comments on the Draft EIS must be submitted by November 9, 2020 to be considered in the Final EIS.
•Via the public website at www.B21EIS.com.
•By mail to Leidos, ATTN: B-21 EIS, 1456 Woodlawn Way, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563.

For more information, visit www.B21EIS.com, or contact the 28th Bomb Public Affairs, Ellsworth AFB, S.D., at 605-385-5056, or via email at 28bw.public.affairs@us.af.mil.