Whiteman Air Force Base
White AFB, MO 65305 1 (660) 687-1110
Establishment:1963
Base Type: Air Force
About
Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri is the home of the 509th Bomb Wing, a US Air Force unit that operates the Northrop Grumman Spirit B2 bomber or also known as the B-2 stealth bomber.
The B-2 bomber is employed for penetrating areas and targets that are beyond the range of conventional aircraft or too dense for a conventional aircraft to strike without suffering heavy losses.
It features a low observable stealth technology, designed to be as invisible as possible from radar detection. It has a flying wing design with a crew of two.
Whiteman AFB Address/Location
Whiteman Air Force Base is at 470 Vandenberg Ave White AFB, MO 65305
Whiteman AFB is the only Air Force base in Missouri, located in Johnson County and 2 miles south of the city of Knob Noster and 10 miles east of Warrensburg MO.
It is actually only one of the three military bases in Missouri, the other 2 being an Army Base – Fort Leonard Wood Army Base in Pulaski, MO. Pulaski, and a Marine Base – MC Mobilization Command Marine Corps in Kansas City, MO. Kansas City,
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About the 509th Bomb Wing
The 509th Bomb Wing is part of the Air Force Global Strike Command as well as the host wing at Whiteman Air Force Base. As they operate and maintain the Air Force’s premier weapons system, the B-2 Stealth Bomber, here are some interesting facts
How Many B2 Bombers does the US have
As of 2019, the 509th Bomb Wing has a fleet of 20 B-2 Spirit bombers and they serve as part of the Air Force’s conventional and strategic combat force.
The US bought 21 B2 stealth bombers in the 1980s and 1990s, but one crashed on Guam in 2008.
The men and women of the wing are combat-ready and are capable of flying anywhere around the world from home station and delivering a wide range of precision-guided conventional and nuclear munitions.
Top Speed of the B2 Stealth Bomber
The B2 bomber has a top speed of 1010 km /hr (628 miles).
B2 Stealth Bomber Cost
The cost of each B2 stealth bomber unit was $737 Million, but if the total program and development cost were to be included, each unit has thus cost $2.1 Billion, or a total of $44.75 Billion for the 21 units.
Before this highly sophisticated fleet of combat aircraft, there were several predecessors since the 1940s.
History
The Early Years 1940s-1950s
Whiteman AFB started as Sedalia Glider Base in 1942, to serve as the US Army Air Corps training base for WACO glider pilots. Construction started in May 1942 and on August 6, 1942, the base was officially open.
In November of 1942, the base was renamed as Sedalia Army Air Field and the host unit was I Troop Carrier Command under the US Air Army Forces. It was one of the eight bases in the US that conducts training of glider pilots for combat missions.
It continued to be the training site for combat crew in all aspects of troop carrier flying by July-August 1945.
During this time that the 509th Composite Group (which was the ancestor of the current 509th BW) was formed which had one solid mission: to drop the atomic bomb.
This they did successfully when the B-29 “Enola Gay” dropped the first atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, in Hiroshima, and another one on August 9, 1945, In Nagasaki.
Soon after, the Japanese signed the terms of surrender aboard the USS Missouri.
By mid-40s, most of the buildings were abandoned and the base was inactivated in December 1947.
In August 1951, the base was already Sedalia AFB and hosted the new bombardment wing with the first all-jet bomber, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet, and the Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, a refueling aircraft.
With this development, the 4224th Air Base squadron conducted the construction of the facilities and in October 1952, the 340th Bombardment Wing (340 BMW) assumed the base. In 1954, the first B-47 and the first KC-97 arrived.
In December 1955, the Air Base was renamed Whiteman Air Force Base in honor of 2d Lt George Allison Whiteman, believed to be one of the first Airmen killed in aerial combat in WWII with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
On the morning of that fateful day, Lt Whiteman managed to reach his Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and attempted to take off when enemy fighters hit his aircraft, fatally wounding him and had his aircraft crashing down.
The 1960s-1980s
In June 1961, the Whiteman AFB was chosen by the Department of Defense to host the Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Construction for this purpose started in January 1962.
The following year in February of 1963, while construction was still ongoing, the 351st Strategic Missile Wing was activated by the Strategic Air Command at Whiteman, changing the base from a bomber base to an ICBM site.
By June of 1964, the construction of the complex was officially complete and from the 15 underground complexes, Whiteman was able to deploy 150 Minuteman I missiles before a program changed the Minuteman I missiles to Minuteman II in 1966.
Through the 70s, programs were initiated to continually update and improve the base’s weapon systems as well as the construction of buildings within the premises.
In the 1980a a new wave of construction followed, and by the late 1980s, the first female Minuteman missile crew and mixed-gender Minuteman crew were fielded.
It was also during this time in November 1988 that the first B2 bomber rolled out from its assembly in Palmdale California, and first flew on 17 July 1989.
The 1990s onwards
In July 1990 the 100th Air Division was activated and assumed responsibility of the 351’st units, only to be inactivated in July 1991 and the responsibilities were reverted to the 351st.
In April 1993, the 509th unit returned to operational status and assumed responsibility from the 351st in July of 1993. In July of 1993, after a 30-year hiatus, flying operations resumed when the first t-38 landed at Whiteman AFB. On December 17, 1993, the first B2 bomber, the Spirit of Missouri, landed on the Whiteman runway.
In that same year, in 1993, the Minuteman II was decommissioned. Its first launch center was inactivated in January 1993, and the final missile was removed in May 1995.
The 351st Missile Wing was also officially inactivated in July 1995 in Whiteman, after 33 years.
In June of 1994, 442nd Fighter Wing (442 FW) was officially welcomed at the base after the closure of the Richards Gebaur AFB.
On 4 October 2008, the Missouri Air National Guard‘s 131st Fighter Wing was officially renamed 131st Bomb Wing and moved from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport to Whiteman Air Force Base.
In February 2010, Whiteman Air Force Base also became home to the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron, an Air Combat Command unit. It was also at this time that the 509th BW became part of the Air Force Global Strike Command.
Directions
Whiteman is near Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 50. Those approaching from the east on Interstate 70 should take the Sedalia exit onto U.S. Highway 65 south. In Sedalia, Highway 65 intersects with Highway 50. Turn west on Highway 50 and drive approximately 20 miles to the Whiteman AFB exit. Turn left onto State Highway 23 south and drive about two miles to the Spirit Gate on the left.For those approaching from the west on Interstate 70, take the Warrensburg exit onto State Highway 13 south. As you approach Warrensburg, Highway 50 passes under Highway 13. Turn east onto Highway 50, at the end of the Highway 13 overpass, and drive to State Highway 23 south. Travel two miles south to reach the Spirit Gate on the left.North and south approaches to Whiteman intersect with Interstate 70 or Highway 50, respectively. If flying to your new assignment, the Kansas City International Airport is a logical arrival location choice with Whiteman 90 miles southeast of the airport. If driving from the airport, take Interstate 435 east toward St. Louis. As you approach Interstate 70, stay in the left lane and take Interstate 70 heading east. The trip takes about 90 minutes, depending on traffic.
Gate and Hours
Spirit Gate Open 24/7
Arnold (Knob Noster) Gate Mon-Sun 0500 – 2200
Lemay (commercial) Gate Mon-Sat 0600 – 1800
Quick Reference
Chapel Office
100 Gray Lane
Whiteman AFB, MO 65305
(660) 687-3652
Ozark Inn Dining Facility
720 Vandenberg Ave,
Whiteman AFB, MO 65305
(660) 687-5469
Education Center
511 Spirit Blvd.
Whiteman AFB, MO 65305
(660) 687-5750
Family Advocacy
331 Sijan Ave
Whiteman AFB, MO 65305
(660) 687-4342
Airman & Family Readiness Center
750 Arnold Ave,
Whiteman AFB, MO 65305
(660) 687-7132
Finance Office
509 Spirit Blvd. Suite 115A
Whiteman AFB, MO 65305
(660) 687-2006
Housing Office
301 Summit Drive
Whiteman AFB, MO 65305
(660) 687-4417
Public Affairs
509 Spirit Blvd. Bldg 509 Suite 116
Whiteman AFB, MO 65305
(660) 687-5727
Legal
509 spirit Blvd. Suite 203
Whiteman AFB, MO 65305
(660) 687-6806
Base Surroundings
Worlds of Fun
4545 Worlds of Fun Ave,
Kansas City, MO 64161
(816) 454-4545
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
4525 Oak St,
Kansas City, MO 64111
(816) 751-1278
Kansas City Zoo
6800 Zoo Dr,
Kansas City, MO 64132
(816) 595-1234
Science City at Union Station
30 W Pershing Rd,
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 460-2020
Crown Center
2450 Grand Boulevard,
Kansas City, MO 64108
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
4420 Warwick Blvd,
Kansas City, MO 64111
(816) 753-5784
Coopers Hawk
4686 Broadway Blvd,
Kansas City, MO 64112
(816) 531-1500
The Capital Grille
4740 Jefferson St,
Kansas City, MO 64112
(816) 531-8345
Lidias Kansas City
101 W 22 nd St,
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 221-3722
Bluestem
900 Westport Rd,
Kansas City, MO 64111
(816) 561-1101
Base Listings
The numbers for Fairchild Air Force Base have low accuracy due to its unique utilization. Entire companies are rotated through on a regular basis, so large portions of the phone directory are subject to change without notice. Please contact the base operator at (509) 247-1212 if you experience any difficulty reaching your desired contact.
Name | Level Name | Phone |
---|---|---|
Civil Engineer Squadron | 509th |
1 (660) 687-2671 |
Communications Squadron | 509th |
1 (660) 687-5026 |
Contracting Squadron | 509th |
1 (660) 687-5464 |
Force Support Squadron | 509th |
1 (660) 687-6530 |
Logistics Readiness Squadron | 509th |
1 (660) 687-4025 |
Maintenance Operations Squadron | 509th |
1 (660) 687-7109 |
Medical Group | 509th |
1 (660) 687-2613 |
Operations Support Squadron | 509th |
1 (660) 687-7007 |
Security Forces Squadron | 509th |
1 (660) 687-5777 |
Bomb Wing (Global Strike Command) | 509th |
1 (660) 687-5090 |
Comptroller Squadron | 509th |
1 (660) 687-5440 |
Outbound | Household Goods/Transportation Office |
1 (660) 687-1849 |
Inbound | Household Goods/Transportation Office |
1 (660) 687-4123 |
Management Office | Housing |
1 (660) 687-4418 |
Referral Office | Housing |
1 (660) 687-4421 |
Housing Referral Office | Housing |
1 (660) 687-4421 |
Housing Management Office | Housing |
1 (660) 687-4418 |
Adults | Military & Family Life Consultants - Counseling |
1 (660) 251-1949 |
Children | Military & Family Life Consultants - Counseling |
1 (660) 624-0307 |
Adults | Military & Family Life Consultants - Counseling |
1 (660) 251-1949 |
Children | Military & Family Life Consultants - Counseling |
1 (660) 624-0307 |
In-Bound Section | Traffic Management Office |
1 (660) 687-4123 |
Out-Bound Section | Traffic Management Office |
1 (660) 687-1849 |
Education Center | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-5750 |
Auto Skills Center | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-5689 |
Dormatory/Single Member Housing | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-5662 |
Barber Shop (BX Mall) | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 563-3882 |
Beauty Shop | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 563-3220 |
Beneficiary Counseling & Assistance Coordinator | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-4350 |
Chapel/Chaplain | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-3652 |
Child Development Center | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-5588 |
Child Care Resource and Referral | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-5592 |
Citizenship and Immigration Services | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-6426 |
Personnel Support Office | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-5007 |
Commissary | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-5655 |
Shoppette | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 563-5445 |
Dental Clinic | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-2201 |
Exceptional Family Member Program-Enrollment | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-4780 |
Air Force Aid Society | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-7132 |
Army & Air Force Exchange Service | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 563-3003 |
Family Advocacy | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-4342 |
Airman and Family Readiness Center | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-7132 |
Family Day Care Program | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-5590 |
Finance Office | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-4949 |
UMB Bank | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 563-2922 |
Sports & Fitness Center | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-5496 |
Military Treatment Facility | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-2200 |
ID/CAC Card Processing | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-6426 |
Airman & Family Readiness Center | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-7132 |
Legal Office | Whiteman Air Force Base |
1 (660) 687-6809 |