Family of an airman who survived a B-1B crash accused investigators of ‘hatred and disrespect’ by blaming crew in a scathing crash report

Just months before the crash, in November, the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth was awarded the Fairchild Trophy for winning the Global Strike Challenge — a competition showcasing the wing’s maintenance and operational skills.

Lord’s criticism of the B-1B Lancer unit at Ellsworth comes as the Air Force plans to eventually phase out the aging bomber, which was first introduced in the 1980s, for the new B-21 Raider.

The Department of Defense has said it plans to acquire somewhere around 100 B-21s, more than the Air Force’s current B-2 and B-1B Lancer fleets combined. Each new bomber costs an estimated $700 million, according to a service fact sheet.

Air Force Global Strike Command said in a statement to Military.com that there is a proposal to temporarily relocate 17 B-1B Lancers from Ellsworth to Grand Forks Air Force Base in nearby North Dakota between February and November 2025, roughly 10 months, to work on runway repairs preparing for the future arrival of the B-21.

Additionally, around 800 personnel from Ellsworth would transfer to Grand Forks to support the B-1B operations.