III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 347 

Commemorating the 62nd anniversary of the dedication of Whiteman Air 

Force Base. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 2 (legislative day, DECEMBER 1), 2017 

Mrs. MCCASKILL (for herself and Mr. BLUNT) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 62nd anniversary of the dedication of 

Whiteman Air Force Base. 

Whereas, 70 years ago, the National Security Act of 1947 

(50 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.), signed into law by President 

Harry S. Truman, established the Department of the Air 

Force as an executive department and established the 

United States Air Force under the Department of the Air 

Force; 

Whereas, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, 

during the attack on Bellows Field, Second Lieutenant 

George Allison Whiteman reached his aircraft, but while 

attempting take off, Second Lieutenant Whiteman’s P-40 

Warhawk was attacked by enemy fighters and crashed, 

fatally injuring Second Lieutenant Whiteman; 


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•SRES 347 ATS 

Whereas, in 1942, the site where Whiteman Air Force Base 

(in this preamble referred to as ‘‘Whiteman AFB’’) currently exists was established as Sedalia Glider Base, and 

Sedalia Army Air Field was later established at that site 

to train Waco glider pilots for combat missions during 

World War II; 

Whereas, in 1951, that site was reopened as Sedalia Air 

Force Base and, beginning in 1952, housed the 340th 

Bombardment Wing, which was assigned the newest aircraft systems of the time, including the B-47 Stratojet, 

which was the first all-jet bomber, and the KC-97, which 

is an aerial refueling tanker; 

Whereas, on December 3, 1955, Sedalia Air Force Base was 

dedicated as Whiteman AFB, in memory of Sedalia-native Second Lieutenant George Allison Whiteman, one of 

the first airmen killed in World War II; 

Whereas Whiteman AFB developed and matured alongside 

United States Air Force capabilities and necessities, 

transitioning from a bomber base to the chosen location 

for the fourth Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile wing and the home of the 351st Strategic Missile 

Wing; 

Whereas Whiteman AFB assisted in paving the way for a 

fully integrated United States Air Force, with the 351st 

Strategic Missile Wing fielding the first female Minuteman crew and the first gender-integrated Minuteman 

crew; 

Whereas the 509th Bomb Wing is stationed at Whiteman 

AFB, operates a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, and is able 

to deploy from Missouri to engage adversaries of the 

United States anywhere in the world; 


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•SRES 347 ATS 

Whereas the 509th Bomb Wing first engaged in combat as 

part of Operation Allied Force over Serbia and Kosovo in 

1999; 

Whereas, in October 2001, the 509th Bomb Wing carried out 

the first military response after the attacks on New York 

City, New York, and Washington, District of Columbia, 

on September 11, 2001 by flying a B-2 Spirit stealth 

bomber into the airspace of Afghanistan and preceding 

the coalition aircraft that would engage the forces of the 

Taliban and al-Qaeda; 

Whereas, while selectively used, the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber 

represents the precision capabilities and the endurance of 

the United States Air Force; 

Whereas the 442nd Fighter Wing, an Air Force Reserve 

Command organization responsible for the operation, 

maintenance, and support of the A-10 Thunderbolt II 

aircraft (commonly known as the ‘‘Warthog’’), is located 

at Whiteman AFB and works alongside the 509th Bomb 

Wing; 

Whereas the 442nd Citizen Airmen carry on the proud tradition, dating back to World War II, of supporting the 

United States Army and allied ground forces through 

close air support; 

Whereas the 131st Bomb Wing, a unit of the Missouri Air 

National Guard located at Whiteman AFB, is the only 

Air National Guard Bomb Wing to fly the B-2 Spirit 

stealth bomber and to be nuclear-capable; 

Whereas the 131st Air National Guardsmen carry on the 

proud tradition of supporting the State of Missouri and 

the United States, which dates back to the founding of 

the 131st Bomb Wing in 1923; 


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•SRES 347 ATS 

Whereas the 20th Attack Squadron, which has been based at 

Whiteman AFB since January 2011 and is assigned to 

the 432d Operations Group in Nevada, flies the remotely 

piloted aircraft MQ-9 Reaper for aerial reconnaissance 

and forward observation; 

Whereas, though geographically separated from the 432d Operations Group, the 20th Attack Squadron provides integral intelligence and close air support and is able to conduct strikes; 

Whereas the 1-135th Assault Helicopter Battalion, a unit of 

the Missouri National Guard, supports humanitarian and 

disaster relief operations as well as transportation on 

drug interdiction missions; and 

Whereas the 1-135th Assault Helicopter Battalion has recently transitioned to using the UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter, which allows for more effective joint force training: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate commemorates the 62nd 

2 anniversary of the dedication of Whiteman Air Force 

3 Base. 

Æ 


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