BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, Louisiana - On Oct. 16, B-2 Spirit long-range bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, conducted precision strikes against five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
The B-2s showcased U.S. global strike capabilities and the ability to take action against these targets anytime, anywhere.
“As the warfighting component to U.S. Strategic Command, our Airmen and aircraft are ready to respond anytime, anywhere,” said Maj. Gen. Jason R. Armagost, 8th Air Force and Joint-Global Strike Operations Center (J-GSOC) commander.
Every B-2 mission is a total force mission, and the air strike was no exception. The 509th Bomb Wing, 131st BW, and the J-GSOC played a significant role during the strikes.
At Whiteman AFB, Total Force Airmen comprising Air National Guard and active-duty Airmen worked side-by-side in all facets of operations, maintenance, planning, logistics and support to put the world’s only stealth bombers in the air and bring them home safely.
“This mission was the result of hard work, long hours, and dedication by many across the installation,” said Col. Keith J. Butler, 509th BW commander. “Once again, Team Whiteman answered the nation’s call with precision, professionalism and outstanding performance.”
Meanwhile, in the J-GSOC, planners went to work to develop courses of action incorporating all aspects of the long-range strike mission, including an array of support and intelligence requirements and coordination across six combatant commands. According to J-GSOC planners, CONUS-based strike operations like this are among the most complex in the air-planning repertoire, requiring precise command and control, airlift, aerial refueling, logistics and airspace deconfliction, all while maintaining strict operational security across multiple organizations.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of the dedication, professionalism and hard work the men and women of the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center displayed to support strike operations on October 16,” said Armagost. “Whether we are called upon to conduct indefinite strategic deterrence operations or execute decisive global strikes, the J-GSOC will remain agile and ready.”
The active-duty and Guard partnership is integral to a combined ability to deliver credible deterrence to adversaries and global strike capability to support national objectives.
In addition to loading and launching aircraft and tactical planning and execution by 131st maintenance and operations Airmen at Whiteman AFB, at Jefferson Barracks Air National Guard Station in St. Louis, the 157th Air Operations Group provided worldwide support to the development and delivery of multi-domain effects for the operation, as the 257th Combat Operations Flight leveraged its global strike capabilities to ensure lethal and survivable implementation of presidential directed operations.
“This was a team effort in all aspects of the mission and our Missouri Guard Airmen contributed every step of the way,” said Col. Jared Kennish, 131st BW commander. “The total force relationships the 131st BW has built with our active-duty counterparts proved decisive for a successful mission.”
The strike demonstrated the B-2’s combined capability of long-range, large payload, low-observability, and advanced precision weapons, proving that it is one of the most advanced airframes in the world.
“We continue to stay ready, and on October 16th we showed the world a peek of what Team Whiteman can do,” Butler told the members of Whiteman AFB. “Team Whiteman is an elite, highly disciplined team, consisting of Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, civilians and contractors working in unison to deliver global strike … anytime, anywhere.”