Ellsworth AFB, NDAdvanced Dental Professionals and Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota

Just a 17-minute drive from the family dentists at Advanced Dental Professionals is Ellsworth AFB. Originally called Rapid City Army Air Base in 1941, it was renamed for Brigadier General Richard E. Ellsworth, a 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing commander who was killed when his aircraft crashed in a training flight in 1953. President Eisenhower visited the base to personally re-dedicate the base in Ellsworth’s memory.

The U.S. War Department established the base to train B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber units to fight in World War II. Instructors in the field trained thousands of pilots, navigators, radio operators, and gunners from nine heavy bombardment groups and many smaller units. It was briefly renamed the Weaver Air Force Base in honor of Brigadier General Walter R. Weaver, a pioneer in the development of the Air Force, but overwhelming public appeals resulted in the name being changed back within six months.

Since October 2015, Ellsworth AFB has been assigned to the Global Strike Command’s Eighth Air Force. Ellsworth has a population of about 8,000 people between military members, family members, and civilian employees.

Advanced Dental Professionals in Ellsworth AFB, SD

Advanced Dental Professionals with Dr. Aaron Studer and Dr. Shaun Lemmon offer a full range of dental services to patients in and around Rapid City, SD, including from Ellsworth AFB. We provide a number of preventative treatments to help your smile avoid cavities and gum disease, cosmetic treatments to make your teeth sparkle, and so much more!

Things to See Near Ellsworth AFB, SD

Ellsworth AFB is less than an hour away from Mount Rushmore, one of the most iconic landmarks in the country. Mount Rushmore National Memorial features the 60-foot heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln (chosen to represent the nation’s birth, growth, development, and preservation). Historian Doane Robinson is credited with the idea of carving the likenesses into the granite face of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills.

Another great place to visit in the Black Hills is Custer State Park, which consists of 71,000 acres of rolling prairie grasslands and rugged mountains, making it one of the nation’s largest state parks. The park is home to a herd of 1500 bison, among numerous other animal inhabitants. We also recommend checking out Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Badlands National Park.