During World War II, a large portion of the Pine Ridge Reservation was seized by the Department of the Army for use as a practice bombing range. From 1942 to 1945, this area was used for air-to-air and air-to-ground firing practice as well as precision and demolition bombing exercises. After the war, the South Dakota National Guard used portions of the bombing range as an artillery range. In 1968, the United States Air Force declared most of the range as excess property. 2,500 of the original 341,726 acres are retained by the Air Force, but are no longer used.