WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the completion of the first large force exercise at the expanded Powder River Training Complex:

“Congratulations to our commanders and airmen on the completion of the first large force exercise at the expanded Powder River Training Complex,” said Thune. “It’s exciting to see the culmination of so many years of effort on this airspace expansion finally come to fruition.‎ Our airmen must have the training they need to return safely after protecting our nation abroad. This expanded training airspace is critical to that training and will not only be an asset to South Dakota and our region for years to come, but will benefit aircrew readiness nationwide.”

Forty-one aircraft took part in the large force exercise on December 2-3, 2015. In addition to B-1 bombers, F-16 fighter jets, KC-135 refueling tankers, and RC-135 intelligence-gathering planes participated in the exercise.