News

It's business as usual at EAFB
By Dan Daly, Journal Staff Writer

EAFB — Throughout the BRAC process, Ellsworth Air Force Base officials have been understandably neutral on the subject of closing the Rapid City base. After all, their job is to executive Pentagon policy, not influence it.

Col. Jeff Smith, 28th Bomb Wing Commander, stayed true to form during a brief meeting Friday afternoon with reporters at the South Dakota Air & Space Museum outside Ellsworth's main gate.

Just this week, 250 airmen from Ellsworth were deployed to Guam, and the base is sending several B-1B Lancer bombers to help the U.S. Pacific Command maintain a continuous bomber presence in Asia and the Pacific. Next month, another 350 airmen will deploy to 21 countries in ongoing operations around the world, Smith said.

"The Air Force and the Black Hills community have been partners in our nation's defense for more than 60 years. And because of this relationship, we have maintained our focus, and our mission has been a success. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the people of this state for their continued support of the airmen here at Ellsworth and our nation's defense."

Otherwise, it's business as usual at Ellsworth Air Force Base. The new B-1B Squadron Operations Center is recently completed. And of three pending construction projects, two are under way, and one was put on hold pending the outcome of the BRAC process, Lt. Col. Nav Singh, 28th Civil Engineering Squadron Commander, said.

- A B-1 Weapons Systems Training Center, an $8.5 million project, remains under construction. It is about 50 percent complete.

- Phase 3 of the military family housing construction — a $15 million project to build 75 single family homes on base — is about 70 percent complete.

- Phase 4, a $20 million project to add another 75 housing units at the base, was awarded early this year. But after the Pentagon named Ellsworth to the base-closure list, the project was put on hold, Singh said.

"We have not received guidance on that yet," he said.