Whiteman Air Force Base

Whiteman Air Force Base is situated near Knob Noster, Missouri. The installation was established in 1942 as Sedalia Glider Base, serving as a training site for WACO glider pilots. It was renamed Sedalia Army Air Field in November 1942 and transitioned to inactive status in December 1947. In August 1951, the site was reactivated as Sedalia Air Force Base. The 340th Bombardment Wing assumed control in 1952, operating B-47 Stratojet and KC-97 Stratofreighter aircraft. On December 3, 1955, the base was renamed after 2nd Lieutenant George A. Whiteman, who was killed during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

In 1963, the base transitioned to an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) mission with the activation of the 351st Strategic Missile Wing. The wing operated Minuteman I and Minuteman II ICBMs across an underground launch network in the vicinity. The 351st Missile Wing was inactivated in July 1995 following the phase-out of the Minuteman II system.

Air Force Global Strike Command currently operates the base. The 509th Bomb Wing is the host unit and operates B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and T-38A Talon trainers. The 131st Bomb Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard also operates B-2 Spirit aircraft from the installation. Resident units include the Air Force Reserve Command’s 442nd Fighter Wing, which operates A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft, and the 20th Attack Squadron, which operates MQ-9A Reaper aircraft. The Missouri Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, is stationed there with UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The United States Navy maintains a presence via Coastal Riverine Squadron 11. The base occupies 5,566 acres and hosts the operational B-2 Spirit force, supporting nuclear deterrent and global strike roles.