Air Force Approves New ND Air National Guard Detachment at Minot AFB for B-52 Operations

Governor Kelly Armstrong announced Thursday, September 18th that the U.S. Air Force has approved a new North Dakota Air National Guard detachment at Minot Air Force Base. The B-52 Operational Classic Association detachment will support the base’s bomber mission with approximately forty personnel by October 2026. This expands the Guard’s current role beyond the existing 219th Security Forces Squadron, which provides missile field security. The new unit will partner the Air National Guard’s 119th Wing with the Air Force’s 5th Bomb Wing on B-52 operations. Governor Armstrong says the expansion reinforces North Dakota’s critical role in national security, while officials plan for potential future growth of the detachment beyond operations and maintenance.