Airmen, guardsmen, families and more are discovering that this new fitness center in Box Elder offers the environment and amenities that they’re after. What is the Liberty Center? The Liberty Center is one of the first facilities completed in preparation for the...
Intentional Community: Ellsworth Spouse’s Club builds connection The mission is clear: get connected. That’s the hope behind Team Ellsworth Spouse’s Club, said president Beth Parker. “We want to create a supportive, helpful and comfortable space for our members,...
Your retirement might be years away or weeks away — either way, transitioning out of military life is going to be a big change. Bill Molnar has been serving his country for his entire career. He and his family have been stationed across the nation and across...
Anyone who has ever depended on Tricare knows that the military’s health care plan can be a wonderful resource for individuals and families — but that same health plan can also present some challenges. Dr. Paul Stevens and his wife, Natalie, know a lot about Tricare,...
Chris Long, a Lieutenant Colonel in the South Dakota National Guard, is following a calling of service — whether that takes him near or far. We use the word service in many different contexts — utility services, customer service and so on. The word service was first...
Folks PCS from around the country (and world) to Ellsworth Air Force Base. Your new station has a lot to offer, but sometimes you just miss home. For a lot of homesick people, an instant way to teleport back to a familiar place for a few moments is through flavor —...
South Dakota has recently joined a growing number of states that are making it easier for professionals to transition to the workforce of their new home after a move — especially for military personnel and their spouses. A few pieces of state legislation created this...
It’s simple – military families face unique challenges. What is more complicated is how to get help when you need it. It’s one of the reasons Ellsworth Air Force Base offers the Family Advocacy program to active-duty military members and their families. We chatted...
Get Educated on Education “How can we make it easier for military families when they move here?” It’s a question Jennifer Beving has asked many times as she continues her local advocacy work to help homeschooling families succeed. It makes sense, she says, to...
If you’re looking for an in-home daycare, get on the waiting list and do it first thing. It’s the best thing military parents can do when they relocate to a new base, said Kara Brown, community childcare coordinator for Ellsworth Air Force Base. Brown licenses all the...
Sports and Recreation opportunities abound in Black Hills Are you ready to play? It doesn’t matter what time of year you move to the Black Hills, or how long you plan to stay, local organizers say there’s a way to get plugged into local sports and recreation...
Kevin Andreson is passionate about serving military families. He’s a real estate agent and developer, and he’s using his expertise to help those families who are serving our country. This is some of Kevin’s real estate advice for families who are transferring to...
You can’t tell the full story of the Black Hills without telling the story of both Camp Rapid and Ellsworth Air Force Base. These two military installations have played pivotal roles in the region. Ellsworth Air Force Base Ellsworth Air Force Base was founded in 1942...
Black Hills businesses and organizations do whatever they can to wrap their arms around military families. In fact, there’s so much support for military families in the Black Hills, that the South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority (SDEDA) created a site for...
Since 1944, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been creating opportunities for service members and their families to enjoy homeownership. The VA loan is one of the most unique, versatile and beneficial mortgage programs available. Active duty service members,...
As a community, the Black Hills is proud to be the home of Ellsworth AFB and several South Dakota National Guard units. We are grateful for the selfless commitment our military members and families give in the defense of our national freedoms. That’s why each...
Permanent Change of Station. PCS. It’s exciting. It’s terrifying. It’s both. You and, if you have them, your family members will be calling the Black Hills home for the next few years. So what’s the home of the 28th Bomb Wing like? What is there to do? What do you...
As a community, the Black Hills is proud to be the home of Ellsworth Air Force Base and several South Dakota National Guard units. We’re grateful for the selfless commitment our military members and families give in the defense of our freedoms. 36 years ago a casual...
Resource Highlight: DAV It may not come for many years, or it may be just around the corner, but one thing is true: every service member will eventually leave the military and transition to civilian life. When that day comes, organizations like Disabled American...
November is Military Family Appreciation Month November is Military Family Month; a time to stop and reflect on the service of the families who support our service members. This year, we’ve rounded up a few family-specific benefits that can help military families...
35th Military Appreciation Event As a community, the Black Hills is proud to be the home of Ellsworth Air Force Base and several South Dakota National Guard units. We’re grateful for the selfless commitment our military members and families give in the defense...
April is Month of the Military Child Children of military members have always had a unique lifestyle: they move frequently, they have to learn to adapt to new schools and make new friends, and they grow up spending extended periods of time separated from one or both...
New Year, New Career? Every year an estimated 200,000 military members rejoin the civilian workforce, either by retiring or separating from uniformed service. The Department of Defense estimates there were over 500 members who separated from just Ellsworth Air Force...
Operation Christmas Drop What do Chuck Norris, Morgan Freeman, Johnny Cash and Santa Claus have in common? They’ve all faithfully served our nation as members of the United States Air Force! Perhaps Santa’s not a full-time member, but he has been flying under the...
Life After the COVID-19 Pandemic While we are all weary of this pandemic and the associated restrictions on our day-to-day lives, we can’t relax quite yet. There are only limited quantities of the vaccine available at present, and until it becomes widely available we...
Ellsworth Air Force Base Marriage Support Military service and marriage have many parallels: both are challenging, rewarding, and take a team approach to succeed. Combining the two, however, creates a new challenge; juggling a relationship with your significant other...
November is Military Family Month Serving our nation is an honorable calling, but the weight of service falls on the shoulders of more than just those in uniform. Behind every servicemember is a family supporting them; their spouse, children, parents—even aunts,...
Day of the Deployed Since 9/11, our military members have been on the road more than any generation before them. Some families will serve a few deployments, others will have tours numbering in the double digits. This aspect of service is unique—and is something that...
Understanding the Communities Around Ellsworth Now that you’ve arrived at Ellsworth and your household goods are ready to be delivered, the next looming decision is where to live. While many appreciate the convenience of living on base, there is a lot to explore and...
The Liberty Center: A facility that unites the mission of EAFB with a community vision South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority (SDEDA) is excited to announce the construction of a large-scale facility in Box Elder. As you know, Ellsworth Air Force Base will be...
The Recent Environmental Impact Statement Release The Air Force recently release the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the impact of B-21 placement at Ellsworth AFB and Dyess AFB and is now hosting public hearings on the findings. Both locations...
Voting No Matter Where You Are Voting is a civic duty for all Americans, but sometimes it can be tough for military members to cast their ballot. Being away from your home state can make the process seem daunting, but luckily there are agencies in place to help. In...
SD National Guard Family Support Services Serving in the military is a family affair; a trial which Service Member and Family Support is trying to make easier on our service members and their families. Their main focus is on South Dakota National Guard members, but...
Ellsworth AFB Family Support Services Military families often contend with challenges civilians never have to face. Deployments, frequent moves, and remote tours of duty all make it difficult to establish a regular routine. Add intangibles such as an unfamiliar...
July 13, 2020 – Black Hills Wire To Businesses in and around the Black Hills area, Per the memorandum signed into immediate effect by United States Air Force Commander Colonel Doss, Air Force personnel must wear face coverings in restaurants, retail locations,...
We get it. You’re probably thinking, “Where has the military sent me?” If you are like me when I was stationed here in 2002, I had only a vague idea of where South Dakota was, and it only brought to mind images of frozen tundra and isolation. My...
By SCOTT LANDGUTH, Executive Director South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority Military families relocate frequently. Facilitating military spouses in continuing their work in a new place of residence without delays or extra expenses is very important. Spouses in...
