The B-1s of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB, S.D., completed 1,100 combat missions and 14,000 combat flight hours between July 2009 and July 2010 while supporting operations in Southwest Asia, according to the wing’s commander. Rapid City’s Fox TV new station KEVN-TV reports that Col. Jeffrey Talliaferro, 28th BW boss, said this high rate of utilization has “burned some of the capital out of the fleet,” but that the addition of 260 maintainers at Ellsworth over the past two years is helping to keep the aging bombers flying. B-1s—those from Ellsworth and from the 7th BW at Dyess AFB, Tex.—have been a constant, rotational presence in Southwest Asia since 2005. They have been workhorses in supporting US and coalition troops on the ground with kinetic strikes, flyovers to scare off insurgents, and overhead protective eyes via the sophisticated cameras on their targeting pods.
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
