Air Force Decides to Move Forward with Powder River Training Complex

The Air Force decided on Friday to move forward with plans to expand the Powder River Training Complex (PRTC) used by B-1’s and B-52’s, choosing its originally preferred alternative of four possible options. “The Air Force decision incorporated a variety of mitigations devised to address, in a balanced manner, the concerns raised by the public, Native American tribes, and various governmental agencies,” the Air Force’s Record of Decision reads. If approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, the expansion would make PRTC the largest Air Force training area in the U.S., and would involve the existing PRTC becoming one of four training areas, or Military Operations Areas (MOA), within the larger complex. The westernmost MOA would start about 35 miles east of Billings, Mont., a city of over 109,000 that houses an international airport. The 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB, S.D., manages the PRTC, and the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., trains in the area.