Grand Forks AFB commemorates 50 years of record setting achievements

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Anthony Nunez-Pellicer
  • 319th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  

An F-15 EX Eagle II assigned to the 53rd Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., arrived to join two other record-breaking airframes in a ceremony for on-base and local community personnel at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., Feb. 20, 2025.

The F-15 EX is the most advanced version of the record-breaking F-15A Streak Eagle, which broke eight “time-to-climb” world records here, between Jan. 16 to Feb 1, 1975, as part of Project Streak Eagle.

The Streak Eagle was not the final record-breaking airframe to grace the airfield of Grand Forks AFB.

A B-1B Lancer achieved a record-breaking speed of 599.59 mph, while flying from here to Monroeville, A.L. and to Mullan, I.D. The Lancer also broke 12 time-to-climb records July 25, 1975.

The 319th Operations Group is the only unit in the Air Force operating the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40 high altitude, long endurance Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft from here; the 7th Reconnaissance Squadron at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy and the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron at Andersen AFB, Guam. The RQ-4 unofficially broke the airframe record for longest continuous flight while piloted by aircrew with the 348th Reconnaissance Squadron, here, after clocking 34.8 hours aloft on May 16, 2024.

“These aircraft went above and beyond their intended missions thanks to their pilots and the masterful preparations made by the maintainers and engineers,” said Col. Bishane Whitmore, 319th Reconnaissance Wing deputy commander. “Their efforts have paved the path to the future, through multiple generations of pilots, crews and even the aircraft themselves which have gone through several models and upgrades.”

Together, all three aircraft span over 100 collective years of air superiority and excellence across the U.S. Air Force with Grand Forks AFB providing a pivotal staging area for each one to build their legacy.

With the B-1B Lancer temporary relocation from Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, underway the opportunity to have all three air frames together on the airfield they set their records from for the first time.

The B-1’s temporary relocation also resonates personally with the 319th RW’s deputy commander, a former Lancer weapons officer.

“The B-1 is actually very special, because it’s the first aircraft I ever flew in, in my career,” said Whitmore. “Seeing it here again is very moving for me. The B-1 was only at this base for a very short time but even with such a small timeframe it still achieved so much and broke records all the way up until they left.”

The aircrew visiting from Eglin AFB, and members of the 319th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 28th Bomb Wing facilitated tours for the on- and off-base communities of Grand Forks AFB to view the Eagle II, Global Hawk and Lancer up close.

Attendees varied from military veterans to elementary school children, both noting excitement at seeing the different airframes that haven’t flown in the skies of the Red River Valley for decades.

One tour guest, Josiah, a middle school student from the neighboring Minnesota community and self-proclaimed aviation enthusiast, noted he was awestruck at seeing seven B-1s on the airfield ramp and took time to ensure he had a visual of every aircraft parked that day. He attributed his interest in aviation to his father’s time in the Air Force and his experiences attending airshows and likened seeing the F-15 EX to his experience seeing the U.S. Navy Blue Angels demonstration team.

The Eagle II concluded its visit with an unrestricted climb upon departure, ascending to 50,000 ft in under a minute, and delivering a blazing farewell to the base.