New Bomb Wing Vice Commander at Ellsworth Air Force Base

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Colonel Seth Spanier has assumed his position as the new vice commander of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth, the world’s largest B-1 bomber base.

Previously Spanier has been stationed at the base twice including as the commander of the 34th Bomb Squadron “Thunderbirds” from June 2016-2018. Prior to his current assignment, Spanier was the Chief of the Strategy Division for the 612th Air Operations Center, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.

Spanier received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 2002. Throughout his career he has served in a variety of key positions, including duty as a flight commander, instructor pilot, weapons and tactics instructor, chief of bomber operations, current operations branch chief and squadron commander.

He is a command pilot and weapons officer with more than 2,750 hours in the B-1, including 1,200 combat hours. He has completed five deployments in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn, and Continuous Bomber Presence operations in the Pacific.

Colonel Spanier gained his master’s degree from National Intelligence University at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C and from Air War College in Montgomery, Alabama.