Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Ellsworth Airmen take on Pacific bomber mission as Dyess completes milestone deploymentEllsworth Airmen take on Pacific bomber mission as Dyess completes milestone deployment
                        
                        
                        Two B-1B Lancers assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., fly over Andersen AFB, Guam, July 26, 2017. The 37th EBS replaced the 9th EBS from Dyess AFB, Texas, supporting U.S. Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Ellsworth Airmen take on Pacific bomber mission as Dyess completes milestone deploymentEllsworth Airmen take on Pacific bomber mission as Dyess completes milestone deployment
                        
                        
                        A B1-B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., arrives at Andersen AFB, Guam July 26, 2017. The aircraft is deployed in support of U.S. Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Quail)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Ellsworth Airmen take on Pacific bomber mission as Dyess completes milestone deploymentEllsworth Airmen take on Pacific bomber mission as Dyess completes milestone deployment
                        
                        
                        A C-5M Super Galaxy assigned to the 22nd Airlift Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., arrives at Andersen AFB, Guam July 24, 2017. The C-5 transported equipment and personnel assigned to 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Ellsworth AFB, S.D. The 37th EBS replaced the 9th EBS from Dyess AFB, Texas, supporting U.S. Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Ellsworth Airmen take on Pacific bomber mission as Dyess completes milestone deploymentEllsworth Airmen take on Pacific bomber mission as Dyess completes milestone deployment
                        
                        
                        Tech. Sgt. Evan Williamson, assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, services a B-1B Lancer after it arrived at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam July 26, 2017. The 37th EBS replaced the 9th EBS from Dyess AFB, Texas, supporting U.S. Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Christopher Quail)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Ellsworth Airmen take on Pacific bomber mission as Dyess completes milestone deploymentPublished Aug. 6, 2017
                    
                    By Tech. Sgt. Richard Ebensberger
                    
                    
                    36th Wing Public Affairs
            **ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AFNS) --**Six B-1B Lancers and 350 Airmen with the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, 28th Bomb Wing from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, deployed to Andersen AFB, at the end of July in support of U.S. Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence mission. 
The 37th EBS will assume responsibility for CBP operations from the 9th EBS, assigned to Dyess AFB, Texas, which arrived at Andersen AFB in February 2017.
“It took every Airman at Andersen AFB to make this deployment and redeployment a success,” said Col. Scott Hurrelbrink, the 36th Wing vice commander. “From our logisticians and support professionals that moved equipment and processed personnel, to our medical staff who provided care, to all our maintainers and operators who fixed, loaded and flew the jets, everyone worked tremendously hard to make this happen. It’s the Airmen of Andersen (AFB), whose commitment and abilities help assure our allies, deter our adversaries and keep us ready to ‘Fight Tonight.’”
For the duration of the deployment, the 37th EBS will operate a fully upgraded fleet of Block 16 B-1 Lancers. The Block 16 update includes a series of improvements to the B-1s avionics, data-link equipment and other systems, all of which improve aircrew situational awareness, interoperability with other aircraft, and overall mission efficiency.  
These upgrades are of particular value in a region as vast and diverse as the Indo-Asia-Pacific, as demonstrated by the departing 9th EBS, who executed the first-ever all-Block 16 B-1 deployment during their deployment to Andersen AFB.
The 9th EBS crews relied heavily on this state-of-the-art equipment while conducting a series of integration and bilateral training missions with the U.S. Navy, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, South Korean air force and Royal Australian Air Force joint terminal attack controllers.
In July alone, the 9th EBS conducted missions that spanned from Guam to the East and South China Seas, Korean Peninsula and down to Australia. One of these missions was a bilateral mission with JASDF F-15 Eagles at night, marking the first time U.S. PACOM directed B-1s have conducted combined training with JASDF fighters at night.
In addition to this milestone, the squadron was also part of a collective military response to a series of increasingly escalatory actions by North Korea, including a launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile when two B-1s launched from Andersen AFB and conducted a 10-hour sequenced bilateral mission with South Korean and Japanese fighter jets.
Much of the success of these missions can be credited to the maintenance personnel that worked round the clock to keep the B-1s mission ready. While here, Airmen from the 7th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 36th Maintenance Group directly contributed to the B-1’s accomplishing 100 percent of all U.S. Pacific Command’s directed missions.
"The accomplishment of these missions is a direct reflection of our maintainer’s dedication and determination in ensuring their B-1s are ready to employ combat airpower at any given time,” said Col. Mark Sotallaro, 36th MXG commander. “Each maintainer brings with them a unique expertise acquired through years of training and experience gained from deployments, such as this, which keeps us mentally agile and mission focused.”
The 9th EBS B-1 crews were not alone in the sky; they relied on the dedicated support of KC-135 Stratotanker crews from the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron to ensure they had the fuel needed to reach their mission objectives.
Ellsworth B-1s were last deployed to Andersen AFB in August 2016, when they took over CBP operations from the B-52 Stratofortress bomber squadrons from Minot AFB, North Dakota, and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.
Pacific Air Forces is tasked with providing combat ready, airpower capabilities in support of any contingency response that may arise in this dynamic region. As Dyess AFB’s Airmen depart Guam, it now falls upon Ellsworth’s B-1s, working side-by-side with their tanker counterparts and all of team Andersen, to be ready if called.
”The Department of Defense regularly evaluates our readiness and positions forces, such as bombers, to ensure we maintain operational and support capabilities to meet our obligations,” said Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, the Pacific Air Forces commander. “We are a forward deployed force that will be first to the fight when and if our nation calls. We are ready to fight tonight and are leading the way on ensuring that we can maintain our competitive advantage to fight tomorrow.”Minot AFB 



B-1B 



Lancer 



bomber 



Andersen AFB 



Dyess AFB 



Travis AFB 



28th BW 



Continuous Bomber Presence 



37th EBS 



9th EBS 



Ellsworth AFB Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil