Col. Burrell Takes Command

Col. John E. Burrell is no stranger to Minot Air Force Base, and his return to command the 5th Bomb Wing brings together years of local experience, deployment perspective, and a deep appreciation for the base’s relationship with the Minot community.

No Stranger to Minot Air Force Base
Col. John E. Burrell and his wife, Alicia, are very familiar with Minot Air Force Base. “We are on year three this time; however, it’s really year 11 over all of the different assignments, and if you ask my wife, indeed it was 11 years with several deployments. My first winter here, without going TDY or deploying, was my first year here as a commander.”

Burrell had assured his wife that when he arrived in Minot as commander of the 5th Operations Group, “I’ll be around the whole time.” But, as he noted, “lo and behold, there was the last deployment” — three and a half months for Operation Epic Fury.

I met Burrell, his wife Alicia, and their children, Will and Izzy, in 2024 as the family was active in building, financing, and mentoring a robotics team at Minot North High School. The Burrells and their team raised $60,000 to build a new robot, provide extra parts, and cover travel expenses for the team. As commander of the 5th Operations Group, Burrell attended many Military Affairs Committee meetings until his deployment took him downrange.

A Whirlwind Year
Asked to describe this past year, Burrell said, “It’s been crazy. I kind of feel like it’s still January or February. From February with Operation Epic Fury, to rolling through deployment and then back again and going through the process of moving houses and then taking over here — the 5th Bomb Wing command — it’s been a whirlwind. It might be time for a vacation.”

When asked about the possibility of vacations, Burrell answered, “None planned, but some owed because we had a Hawaii trip planned and we had a cruise to the Caribbean that were cancelled by deployment. So, I now owe her — Alicia — three vacations for two that were cancelled.”

Deployment and Command Perspective
The conversation shifted to Operation Epic Fury and the deployment experience, including the social media attention surrounding 5th Bomb Wing activity in England and the visibility of active B-52 tail numbers.

Burrell said he loved the deployment. “Obviously being there with the Airmen is something that we don’t get to do very often, so that was an amazing experience to be there not only with my Airmen, but Airmen from multiple other bases working to get the mission done. Being in the deputy commander role, I got to learn a lot that I had not been exposed to as an operations group commander.”

He said one of the biggest benefits was learning what it meant to operate as a tenant wing with a host installation. “Learning how to be a tenant directly correlated to my responsibility here now as the host unit to take care of the 91st Missile Wing. Seeing that dynamic of when we asked for stuff, they responded. It made me see a new way of taking care of the 91st Missile Wing and what a responsibility it was.”

Minot Then and Now
What, if anything, has changed over the years as you have returned to Minot Air Force Base and the community of Minot in differing roles?

“Since I got up here in 2006, it’s not the same town. There were fewer chain restaurants; it was more mom-and-pop type places. 2011 was the biggest change with the flood and all of the construction after that. So coming back now, there are so many dining options.”

The Base and Community Relationship
And the relationship between Minot Air Force Base and the community of Minot — how has that changed?
“It’s amazing communicating with the civic leaders downtown, the Chamber of Commerce. You don’t see that anywhere else. Having been stationed at multiple bases, the community may like you, they may not, but they really aren’t engaged, not like it is here. Case in point: change in command on base, and you can look out in the crowd and see all of the civic leaders who are on base. The mayor comes to our award ceremonies and hands out certificates to the Airmen. You just don’t see that anywhere else. They have real jobs, and they take hours out of their days to do these things for us.”

Burrell also pointed to Military Affairs Committee luncheons as another example. “You go to a MAC luncheon and every single person is there.”

Defining Minot AFB’s Role in a Changing Global Climate
After discussing Minot’s local support network, Burrell turned to the broader mission of Minot Air Force Base and its role in an increasingly complex global environment.

“Our role hasn’t changed in many ways. The world has changed and our responsibility to it does not. First and foremost, we are still the line of defense, whether it is the 5th Bomb Wing or the 91st Missile Wing. The deterrence mission that we bring for the president of the United States is unwavering, and it hasn’t changed.”
“What has changed is that as we are engaged in more and more conflicts over recent years, we had to go out and be a part of those conflicts; deploy, support, fight while still maintaining our mission set here. That means leaving one bomb squadron behind to maintain that deterrence presence and maintaining support of the 91st Missile Wing while they do their mission 24/7, 365.”

The Future of the B-52 Mission
Recent press has talked about bringing more B-52s out of Davis-Monthan. What is your opinion about taking that step?

“Well, I’m pretty sure that we’d all like to see more B-52s on the ramps here and at Barksdale. I think there are 11 sitting in storage still. I have not heard of any official plans to bring them out, but I would welcome more if that was the decision. The B-52, and really all of the U.S. bomber force, is a national asset. We have a lot of them, but there is a high demand and a relatively low density. With the B-52 getting the upgrades and flying through 2050, we are only going to be in higher demand as we go forward.”

Airmen Today
What is different for Airmen now versus when you came in?

“When I entered the Air Force, we entered during a time of war. Now, the last couple of years, it is not a time of active conflict even though we are in conflict. These Airmen today are joining up for the benefits, the education, and then they are learning what it’s like to serve and to be part of this amazing team. Twenty-three years ago, we were lining up to go serve, and we found out all of the other stuff as the Air Force brought us along. I think some Airmen are joining for a different reason now, but what is amazing is that when they get into the military and they learn about the job, responsibility, and how important it is to serve, I think that is when they really learn a lot.”

In your opinion, is the community giving first-year Airmen what they need to appreciate being part of Minot Air Force Base?

“Absolutely. Take, for example, Operation Homeward Bound. Last year we sent somewhere around 130 young Airmen home for Christmas. The thing that this community does for young Airmen is truly special.”