Ellsworth Air Force Base in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
B-1B Lancer
Operation Odyssey Dawn
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
1. B-1B Lancer Marker
In March 2011, under blizzard conditions, the call came: could the 28th Bomb Wing be ready for action in Libya, in less than two days? Despite freezing metal and icy pavement, Airmen began working around the clock. Experts in electronics, engines, and life support systems applied their skills. Munitions teams built 145 weapons in 20 hours. Logistics specialists delivered parts from the warehouse to the flightline. Weather forecasters and intelligence analysts, lawyers and chaplains lined up to brief the crews. From this enormous effort, aircrews launched the first B-1 combat mission ever flown from the continental United States. They returned 72 hours and two bombing missions later, exhausted, having hit nearly 100 targets with 98% accuracy.
"It's hard to overstate how important the ground support teams were to our success."
—Lead Aircraft Weapons Systems Officer
[Photo captions, clockwise from center right, read]
• Mission crew launched in heavy fog with terrible visibility for their long journey to North Africa.
• Cold metal made it had for maintainers to work quickly.
• Cocked, locked, and ready
this page online
• Preparing to load heavy GPS-guided bombs into bomb bays.
DATA CARD
Top Speed mph · 950
Crew · 4
Range · Intercontinental
Payload · 75,000 lbs. of guided and unguided munitions.
Erected by South Dakota Air and Space Museum.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Patriots & Patriotism. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota Air and Space Museum series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 2011.
Location. 44° 7.976′ N, 103° 4.368′ W. Marker is in Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in Pennington County. Marker and aircraft are on static display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2890 Davis Drive, Ellsworth AFB SD 57706, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West River, in the Badlands, and in Greater Rapid City. It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, and on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
2. B-1B Lancer and Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: B1-B Lancer (a few steps from this marker); B-29 Superfortress (within shouting distance of this marker); HGM-25A Titan I (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named HGM-25A Titan I (within shouting distance of this marker); LGM-30F Minuteman II (within shouting distance of this marker); 4th Airborne Command Control Squadron (within shouting distance of this marker); EC-135 Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS) (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named LGM-30F Minuteman II (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Rockwell B-1B "Lancer" (was a few steps from this marker).
Regarding B-1B Lancer. Although an official field museum of the US Air Force Heritage Program and is adjacent to Ellsworth AFB main gate, the museum does not require access onto the base.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 6, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 6, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
