A row of B-1B Lancers await maintenance and munitions during a Phase II Operational Readiness Exercise, Sept. 16. The B-1 carries the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli)

28th BW B-1B 86-0139 waits patiently for another day of Sabre Strike operations.

Rockwell B-1B Lancer of the 37th Bomb Squadron "Tigers" from Ellsworth AFB participating in Red Flag 14-3 exercises at Nellis AFB. A review of the exercise can be found at www.airshowsreview.com/2014_Red_Flag_2014-3_Exercise.htm .

Adrian Harden and Benjamin Booth, mixed martial arts fighters, grapple during a Ring Wars event June 17, 2011 at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. They were invited to fight during the event, which drew more than 700 fans from the Air Force community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Michael Morford)

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. David Wells, the 28th Munitions Squadron first sergeant, and Master Sgt. Tina McFadden, the 28th Comptroller Squadron and Bomb Wing Staff first sergeant, place boxes of holiday meals into a vehicle, Nov. 17, 2010. Sergeants Wells and McFadden are part of the Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., First Sergeant Council and Operation Warmheart, which are helping families in need this holiday season with all the makings for a festive meal. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kasey Close)

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Zechariah Engwall, a 28th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, uncoils a fire truck's water hose at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Jan. 27, 2011. The fire department trained with the 28th Mission Support Group commander to put out indoor fires. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Melanie Allen, a training instructor with the 28th Security Forces Squadron, paints a child?s face during the Kids, Spouses and Teachers Understanding Deployment Operations event on Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., March 13, 2010. The event featured various military demonstrations, a mock deployment line and a B-1B Lancer aircraft tour. (DoD photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew Flynn, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Rockwell B-1B Lancer of the 37th Bomb Squadron "Tigers" from Ellsworth AFB participating in Red Flag 14-3 exercises at Nellis AFB. A review of the exercise can be found at www.airshowsreview.com/2014_Red_Flag_2014-3_Exercise.htm .

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. - (Front to back) Staff Sgt. Benjamin Pieta and Senior Airman Kristi Terwilliger, 28th Security Forces Squadron patrolmen, scout the area for simulated threats during a phase II Operational Readiness Exercise, May 12. During the Phase II ORE, Security Forces Airmen were tested on a variety of scenarios designed to gauge their ability to operate in the deployed environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli)

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -Capt. Bishane Whitmore, 37th Bomb Squadron weapons systems officer, boards a B-1B Lancer, Jan. 28, 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Corey Hook)

Rockwell B-1B Lancer of the 37th Bomb Squadron "Tigers" from Ellsworth AFB participating in Red Flag 17-1 exercises at Nellis AFB.

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. - People gather for the 2010 Independence Day celebration at Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, July 3. Mount Rushmore attracts approximately two million visitors annually. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Airman 1st Class Corey Hook)

USAF B-2 flyby Airshow June 4 2011. Had to crop this to bring it up to a better size but I think it's worth it! Certainly a lot more aerodynamic looking than the previous photo!!

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class James Jones, 28th Munitions Squadron weapons crew member, loads munitions for transport during a Phase II Operational Readiness Exercise, Sept. 16. Airmen are tested on their skills in a simulated deployed environment during the exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli)

Senior Airman Jordan Roy checks an engine of a B-1B Lancer during exercise Green Flag-West 13-02 at Nellis. Roy is an aerospace maintenance journeyman assigned to the 372nd Training Squadron at Ellsworth. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal)

The military version of the Cessna 310 at the Ellsworth AFB museum in 2011.

I toured Ellsworth Air Force Base on September 12, 2012 and one of the stops was the last remaining missile silo (now used strictly for training). The Minuteman II (LGM-30F) is a nuclear missile, a land-based ICBM, that was in service from 1965 until 1997. When in service, it carried a 1.25 megaton warhead, could reach a speed of 15,000 mph and could rise to an altitude of 140 miles on a parabolic flight path over the North Pole to its target. It could be launched in a minute and reach a target on the other side of the earth in 30 minutes.

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- Airmen from across the base compete in a 5K run during National Police Week, May 13. The 5K run started at the Bellamy Fitness Center, looped around the 28th Security Forces Squadron firing range and back. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli)

The Ellsworth Air Force Base, flightline displays a mix of aircrafts as well as motorcycles. In preparation of the Dakota Thunder bike ride to Sturgis S.D. The ride consisted of more than 500 bikers on a 57 mile ride. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli)

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Lewis, the Ellsworth Honor Guard noncommissioned officer in charge, guides Airmen with the Ellsworth Honor Guard as they fold a flag during a funeral practice sequence in the Pride Hangar at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., March 19, 2012. The honor guard continuously rehearsed to ensure they could perform services with pinpoint accuracy. (DoD photo by Airman 1st Class Katherine Thornton, U.S. Air Force/Released).

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Rockwell B-1B Lancer of the 34th Bomb Squadron "Original Thunderbirds" from Ellsworth AFB participating in Red Flag 14-3 exercises at Nellis AFB. A review of the exercise can be found at www.airshowsreview.com/2014_Red_Flag_2014-3_Exercise.htm .

U.S. Airmen with the 28th Bomb Wing board an aircraft at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., July 18, 2009. The Airmen are deploying to Southwest Asia to support the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing. (DoD photo by Airman 1st Class Corey Hook, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Bone 01 taxies along Fairford's northern taxiway for runway 27.

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE S.D.-- Kayla Maquindang holds a sign to greet her father, Staff Sgt. Gerald Maquindang, 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron instruments flight controls craftsman, upon his arrival from a deployment, Jan. 29, 2010. While deployed to Southwest Asia, Maquindang provided support to Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Corey Hook)

Rockwell B-1B Lancer of the 37th Bomb Squadron "Tigers" from Ellsworth AFB participating in Red Flag 14-3 exercises at Nellis AFB. A review of the exercise can be found at www.airshowsreview.com/2014_Red_Flag_2014-3_Exercise.htm .

An Airman guards a B-2 Spirit June 4, 2011, during the 2011 Dakota Thunder air show at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marc I. Lane)

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. - Airman 1st Class Matthew Hung, 28th Civil Engineering Squadron emergency management journeyman, prepares a radiological detector for a joint training mission with Ellsworth Air Force Base, the South Dakota National Guard and the Rapid City Fire Department in Rapid City, S.D., Nov 4. Airmen from the 28th Bomb Wing worked closely with the state and local response agencies to properly assess and handle the simulated-chemical incident. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli)

Edited USAF image of a B-1B refueling from a KC-135 tanker.

Original caption: A KC-135 Stratotanker from Fairchild Air Force Base refuels a B-1B Lancer during a training exercise Sept. 23, 2014, over South Dakota. For more than 50 years the KC-135 has provided the core aerial refueling capability for the Air Force. The aircraft can travel up to 1,500 miles with 150,000 pounds of transfer fuel, which enables the Air Force to project rapid, flexible military power. The B-1B is assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mary O'Dell)

After the USAF adopted the KC-135A Stratotanker as its primary air refueling platform, the basic 707-style design was found to have plenty of applications to other roles as well. A number of C-135As were built as fast transports, though these proved to be a disappointment, due to their inability to handle outsize cargo loads (a reason why the C-141 Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy were built). Their comparative speed, capacity, and range made them good aircraft for conversion to other rolesl. This led to a dizzying number of variants--the EC-135 electronic warfare/command post aircraft, OC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft, WC-135 weather reconnaissance aircraft, TC-135 trainers, and VC-135 executive transports.

This EC-135A was an airborne command post for the 28th Bomb Wing, based at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. In case of a nuclear attack, the command staff of the 28th BW would get aboard this aircraft and fly away from the base, allowing them to coordinate the wing's B-52s (and later B-1s) strikes on the Soviet Union. This was similar to the EC-135Cs based at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, which would serve as airborne command posts for Strategic Air Command under the codename Looking Glass, and the President's E-4 National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP, also known as Kneecap) based at Andrews AFB.

I apologize for the quality of the picture; this is a scan of an old photo I took with a Kodak Disc camera. It was taken at one of Malmstrom AFB's last airshows, in 1990. 61-0297 was in the twilight of her career; she would be retired in 1992 to AMARC in Arizona, where what's left of her remains. Note the old SAC stripe on the fuselage.

52-8886 USAF | General Motors F-84F Thunderstreak | South Dakota Air & Space Museum

Senior Airman Angela Gomez, 28th Security Forces Squadron leader, and son, Alexander, get their photo taken from a cell phone by Airman Gomez's mother, Isabel Aguilera, before Airman Gomez leaves for a deployment to Southwest Asia from Rapid City Regional Airport in Rapid City, S.D., Nov. 19. The Ellsworth security forces contingent will support Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom throughout Southwest Asia. (US Air Force photo/Airman Corey Hook)(Released)

Rockwell B-1B Lancer of the 34 BS from Ellsworth AFB participating in a Green Flag exercise during the 2014 Nellis AFB Open House and Air Show. A review of the airshow can be found online at: www.theaviationmagazine.com/2014_Nellis_Aviation_Nation_A...

The South Dakota Air & Space Museum is located at the entrance to Ellsworth Air Force Base. At the museum, I was able to purchase tickets for a tour of the base and its sole remaining Minuteman II missile silo, now used strictly for training. Ellsworth Air Force Base is the home of the B-1 Bomber and the 28th Bomber Wing.

Senior Airman Santos Rodriguez, 28th Mission Support Group client support administrator, opens a computer tower to exchange operating systems between two computers here, June 25. Airman Rodriguez changed the operating systems to update them for the 28th Security Forces Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli)

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tywone Weston checks a B-1B Lancer aircraft's General Electric F-101 turbofan engine for leaks at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Oct. 6, 2010. Weston is the aerospace propulsion test cell assistant non commissioned officer in-charge for the 28th Maintenance Squadron. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook, U.S. Army/Released)

Blogged at belredroad.posterous.com/today-in-1974-b1-bomber-first-fl...

A B-1B Lancer begins a training mission, Aug. 3, 2010, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Aircrews complete training sorties to meet certifications and to improve their skills necessary to save lives in combat. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Corey Hook)

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Eli Goff, a 28th Operations Group air traffic controller at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., loads items into a lock box in his vehicle Nov. 17, 2010, for safety during the winter season. Airmen are encouraged during the winter months to keep emergency items in their vehicles such as first-aid kits, water, a shovel and blankets. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli)

"Was N8435H before USAF service. Serial originally to MSN 218 but cancelled. To civil registry as HZ-AAY (Saudi Arabian Airlines), N99878 (American Aircraft Sales Jan 29, 1980). Now on display at South Dakota Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota." - www.joebaugher.com

I toured Ellsworth Air Force Base on September 12, 2012 and one of the stops was the last remaining missile silo (now used strictly for training). The Minuteman II (LGM-30F) is a nuclear missile, a land-based ICBM, that was in service from 1965 until 1997. When in service, it carried a 1.25 megaton warhead, could reach a speed of 15,000 mph and could rise to an altitude of 140 miles on a parabolic flight path over the North Pole to its target. It could be launched in a minute and reach a target on the other side of the earth in 30 minutes.

52-10866 USAF | Beech C-45H Expeditor | South Dakota Air & Space Museum rebuilt AT-11 from 42-37418

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Anthony White, a firefighter with the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron, pulls Tech. Sgt. Weldon Lasseter, of the 28th Medical Operations Squadron, from a simulated burning building Oct. 6, 2009, during a phase two operational readiness exercise at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. (DoD photo by Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Senior Airman Santos Rodriguez, 28th Mission Support Group client support administrator, installs new software onto a computer at the 28th Security Forces Squadron here, June 25. The new software provides supervisors the ability to create tests to train their Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli)

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Eli Goff, a 28th Operations Group air traffic controller at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., adds a warm jacket to a bag Nov. 17, 2010, to be kept in his vehicle for safety during the winter season. During the cold winter months, Airmen are encouraged to have emergency items in their vehicles, such as first-aid kits and extra blankets. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli)

44-87779 USAF | Boeing KB-29M Superfortress | South Dakota Air & Space Museum

I toured Ellsworth Air Force Base on September 12, 2012 and one of the stops was the last remaining missile silo (now used strictly for training). The Minuteman II (LGM-30F) is a nuclear missile, a land-based ICBM, that was in service from 1965 until 1997. When in service, it carried a 1.25 megaton warhead, could reach a speed of 15,000 mph and could rise to an altitude of 140 miles on a parabolic flight path over the North Pole to its target. It could be launched in a minute and reach a target on the other side of the earth in 30 minutes.

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Eli Goff, a 28th Operations Group air traffic controller at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., prepares items to put in his vehicle Nov. 17, 2010, for safety during the winter season. With the holiday season fast approaching, Airmen are encouraged to keep emergency items in their vehicles such as first-aid kits and extra blankets. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli)

The swing-wing fighter bomber at the South Dakota Air & Space Museum 15/9/2011.

Senior Airman Santos Rodriguez, 28th Mission Support Group client support administrator, disconnects a computer tower before exchanging operating systems between two computers here, June 25. Airman Rodriguez changed the operating systems to update them for the 28th Security Forces Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli).