Maj. Gen. Jason R. Armagost, Eighth Air Force commander and Joint-Global Strike Operations Center commander, left, Col. Derek Oakley, outgoing 28th Bomb Wing commander, center, and Col. Erick Lord, the wing’s incoming commander, exchange the wing’s guidon during a change of command ceremony at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., on Friday, July 25, 2025. (Brittany Kenney/U.S. Air Force)
(Tribune News Service) — Ellsworth Air Force Base bid farewell to a familiar face Friday as Col. Derek Oakley prepares to retire from military service, concluding his impactful tenure as commander of the 28th Bomb Wing, a role he’s held since June 2023. Col. Erick D. Lord is poised to take the reins, ushering in a new era for the crucial strategic airpower hub.
In a scene blending tradition with heartfelt goodbyes, nearly a hundred airmen and their families, alongside local and state leadership, gathered Friday morning within the B-1 hangar at Ellsworth for a Change of Command ceremony. The atmosphere was thick with a mix of emotional remembrance for Oakley’s contributions and a palpable anticipation for the new leadership Lord is set to bring.
“The airmen of Ellsworth Air Force Base have been doing long-range strikes, great power competitions and strategic deterrence for decades,” Lord said. “That is America’s asymmetric edge. And it’s lived here and it will endure. So to the airmen of the 28th Bomb Wing, I’m honored to stand with you and I’ll give you everything I have.”
Lord is a seasoned B-1B weapon systems officer and brings extensive bomber experience to Ellsworth. His career is deeply rooted in the B-1 community, including a previous assignment at Ellsworth as a flight commander and evaluator weapon systems officer with the 37th Bomb Squadron and commanding the 9th Bomb Squadron at Dyess AFB, Texas, where he led B-1 combat operations.
His recent assignment was serving as deputy commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, helping to ensure the readiness of 28 B-52H Stratofortress bombers and the well-being of more than 9,200 personnel.
Lord received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Officer Training School in 2002. He is a master navigator who has accumulated more than 2,600 flight hours, including combat missions supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel and Inherent Resolve.
Among the crowd was U.S. Sen. John Thune, who expressed he’s “very confident” in Lord’s capabilities to lead Ellsworth and prepare airmen to operate the new B-21 bomber coming to the base.
“He’s incredibly well-trained, prepared and equipped for this important job,” Thune said. “With everything that’s going on with the world today, the challenges that we face and the threats that we face out there, strategic deterrence is more important than ever.”
U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson echoed the same sentiment, adding that Lord had “big shoes to fill” especially with the introduction of the new bomber.
“In South Dakota we understand that Ellsworth is important, but I don’t think we realize how important,” Johnson said. “The B-1 keeps our country safe. That deterrent keeps our enemies at bay, the B-21 is going to do an even better job at that.”
As the ceremony came to a close, Lord said he looks forward to continuing Ellsworth’s heritage and to further push the legacies Oakley had left behind.
“Col. Oakley has already gotten that train moving,” Lord said when addressing the future of Ellsworth and its role in public safety and its future. “But the wing will see a change here, because we are going to continue the heritage and the trust and the respect the 28th Bomb Wing has. And we’re going to focus on the attention of detail needed to bring the nuclear mission back to Ellsworth Air Force Base.”
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