131st Bomb Wing The 131st Bomb Wing ( 131 BW ) is a unit of the Missouri Air National Guard , stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base , Knob Noster , Missouri . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is an associate unit of the active - duty Twentieth Air Force 509th Bomb Wing . The 110th Bomb Squadron assigned to the Wings 131st Operations Group , is a descendant organization of the World War II 110th Aero squadron , established on 14 August 1917 . Demobilized in November 1918 , it was re - established on 23 June 1923 as the 110th Observation Squadron . The unit is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II . It is the oldest unit in the Missouri Air National Guard , having almost 90 years of service to the state and nation . Overview . The only Air National Guard B - 2 Spirit Wing , the 131st Bomb Wing ' s mission is to bring massive firepower to bear , in a short time , anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses . History . World War II . Organized and trained in California during 1943 . Moved to England in January 1944 , being assigned to VIII Fighter Command . The 364th FG flew escort , dive - bombing , strafing , and patrol missions in France , Belgium , the Netherlands , and Germany . At first the group operated primarily as escort for B - 17 / B - 24 Liberator heavy bombers . The group patrolled the English Channel during the Normandy invasion in June 1944 , and , while continuing escort operations , supported ground forces in France after the invasion by strafing and bombing locomotives , marshalling yards , bridges , barges , and other targets . Converted from P - 38 ' s to P - 51 Mustang ' s in the summer of 1944 and from then until the end of the war flew many long - range escort missions heavy bombers that attacked oil refineries , industries , and other strategic objectives at Berlin , Regensburg , Merseburg , Stuttgart , Brussels , and elsewhere . The 364th received a Distinguished Unit Citation for an escort mission on 27 December 1944 when the group dispersed a large force of German fighters that attacked the bomber formation the group was escorting on a raid to Frankfurt . The 364th also flew air - sea rescue missions , engaged in patrol activities , and continued to support ground forces as the battle line moved through France and into Germany . Took part in the effort to invade the Netherlands by air , September 1944 ; the Battle of the Bulge , December 1944 – January 1945 ; and the assault across the Rhine , March 1945 . Although the last mission by the 364th FG took place on 25 April 1945 , the group did not depart until November , returning to Camp Kilmer New Jersey for inactivation Missouri Air National Guard . The wartime 364th Fighter Group was re - activated and re - designated as the 131st Fighter Group , and was allotted to the Missouri Air National Guard , on 24 May 1946 . It was organized at Lambert Field , St Louis , and was extended federal recognition on 15 July 1946 by the National Guard Bureau . The 131st Fighter Group was bestowed the history , honors , and colors of the wartime 364th Fighter Group . Assigned to the Missouri ANG 57th Fighter Wing , the 131st Fighter Group controlled the 110th Fighter Squadron in St . Louis and the 180th Bombardment Squadron at Rosecrans Memorial Airport , St Joseph . The status of the 131st was changed from a Group to a Wing on 31 Oct 1950 when the 71st Fighter Wing was inactivated and the 131st took over the organization and mission of the 71st . Korean War activation . On 1 March 1951 the 110th was federalized and brought to active - duty due to the Korean War . It was initially assigned to Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) and transferred to Bergstrom AFB , Texas . The 131st Fighter - Bomber Group was composed of the 110th Fighter Squadron , the 192d Fighter Squadron ( Nevada ANG ) , the 178th Fighter Squadron ( North Dakota ANG ) , and the 170th Fighter Squadron ( Illinois ANG ) . At Berstrom , its mission was a filler replacement for the 27th Fighter - Escort Group which was deployed to Japan as part of SAC ' s commitment to the Korean War . The unit was a Bergstrom until November when it was transferred to Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) and moved to George AFB , California . At George , the unit was scheduled to be re - equipped with F - 84D Thunderjet s and was programmed for deployment to Japan , however the F - 84s were instead sent to France and the 131st Fighter - Bomber Wing remained in California and flew its F - 51 Mustangs for the remainder of its federal service . The 110th Fighter - Bomber Squadron was released from active duty and returned to Missouri state control on 1 December 1952 . Tactical Air Command . Returning to Lambert Field , the 131st was re - formed as a light bombardment squadron in January 1953 and came under Tactical Air Command . It received B - 26 Invader s that returned from the Korean War and trained primarily in night bombardment missions , which the aircraft specialized in while in Korea . With the removal of the B - 26 from bombing duties in 1957 as neared the end of their service lives , the 110th entered the " Jet Age " . The 110th received its first jet aircraft in the spring of 1957 when it received some F - 80 Shooting Stars , then in June 1957 , it transitioned to the F - 84F Thunderstreak fighter - bomber . On 1 October 1961 , as a result of the 1961 Berlin Crisis , the mobilized Missouri Air National Guard ( ANG ) 131st Tactical Fighter Wing deployed to Toul - Rosières Air Base , France as the 7131st Tactical Fighter Wing ( Provisional ) . When activated as the 7131st TFW , it consisted of the 110 , 169 and 170 TFS , from Lambert Field , St . Louis MO , Peoria Municipal Airport , Peoria IL , and Capitol Airport , Springfield IL , respectively . The designation 7131st was used as the Wing , composed of three federalized ANG squadrons , only deployed the 110th Tactical Fighter Squadron to France . The 169th and 170th TFS rotated personnel to Toul during their period of activation due to budget restraints , however only one squadron ' s worth of aircraft and personnel were at Toul at any one time . While in France , the Guardsmen assumed regular commitments on a training basis with the U . S . 7th Army as well as maintaining a 24 - hour alert status . The 7131st exchanged both air and ground crews with the Royal Danish Air Force ' s 730th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Skydstrup Air Station , Denmark , during May 1962 . As the Berlin situation subsided , all activated ANG units were ordered to be returned to the United States and released from active duty . The 7131st TFW was inactivated in place in France on 19 July 1962 leaving its aircraft and equipment to USAFE . After returning to St Louis , the unit was re - equipped with F - 100C Super Sabre s in late 1962 . It trained with the F - 100s for the next 17 years , upgrading to the improved F - 100D in 1971 . Although not activated during the Vietnam War , many of the squadron ' s pilots were sent to F - 100 squadrons in South Vietnam between 1968 - 1971 . In 1977 , Charles Lindbergh ' s widow gave permission to designate 110th Tactical Fighter Squadron as " Lindbergh ' s Own " . In 1978 , the unit acquired the " home grown " McDonnell Douglas F - 4C Phantom II , the aircraft primarily being Vietnam War veterans returned from Southeast Asia . It again upgraded to the more advanced F - 4E Phantom II in 1985 and in 1991 was again upgraded to the F - 15A / B Eagle air superiority aircraft with the F - 4s being retired . The 110th was one of the last Air National Guard unit ' s to convert to the F - 15 . Air Combat Command . More than 500 members from the 131st Fighter Wing and the tenant units located at Lambert International Airport were called into service to battle the Great Flood of 1993 . In the post - Cold War era , the unit deployed to Incirlik AB , Turkey in support of Operation Northern Watch in 1996 , 1997 and 1998 . Members of the 131st returned in October 2000 from duty rotations in Southwest Asia and Europe , while other unit members were still stationed overseas . Eventually , a total of about 430 wing members were scheduled to deploy , with the majority leaving in October 2000 for Prince Sultan AB , Saudi Arabia , in support of Operation Southern Watch . A little more than half of the deployed 131st Fighter Wing members and 12 F - 15s made up the AEF - 9 ' s 110th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron ( EFS ) . The 110th EFS primarily provides air superiority for Operation Southern Watch . AEF - 9 was deployed from September through November 2000 . In 2004 , the improved F - 15C Eagle arrived , replacing the older aircraft . On 16 March 2006 , the Air Force announced that elements of the 131st Fighter Wing , Missouri Air National Guard ( MOANG ) , would become an associate unit assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing . The 131st Fighter Wing transitioned from flying and maintaining the F - 15C Eagle fighter to the B - 2 Spirit bomber . The final flight of the F - 15C Eagle by the 131st occurred in June 2009 from St . Louis ' s Lambert International Airport . The unit was redesignated as the 131st Bomb Wing on 1 October 2008 . The 509th and the 131st joined forces according to what is known as a " classic associate wing " structure . The active - duty wing , the 509th retains full " ownership " of the operational assets ; aircraft , maintenance facilities , etc . Each wing has its own chain - of - command and organizational structure , but the members of each unit perform their duties in a fully integrated manner . Translation , active - duty and ANG pilots and maintainers fly B - 2 missions and sustain the aircraft as though it were one unit . On Wednesday morning , 30 May 2007 , A Missouri National Guard F - 15 pilot ejected safely from his aircraft just before it crashed during a training mission in rural Knox county , Indiana . The plane went down just before 11 am EDT south of Vincennes , near the Illinois border , as it conducted standard training maneuvers , according to a release from the National Guard . Investigators said the plane was flying at about 20 , 000 feet prior to the crash . The pilot had been with the 131st Fighter Wing for 12 years and was highly experienced , officials said . The unit had most recently enforced no - fly zones in Iraq . This crash decreased the 131st ' s aircraft count from 20 to 19 . On 2 November 2007 , another F - 15C from the 131st crashed in Mark Twain National Forest , in Missouri . No property was damaged and no people on the ground were hurt , however the pilot broke an arm and a shoulder , despite ejecting from the plane . The pilot also was said to be in " shock " when landowners found him . The crash was due to a flaw in a part of the plane ' s fuselage ; this led to all F - 15 aircraft being grounded at one point between November and January 2008 . Since after the accidents , the 131st ' s flights have been reduced , also due to the wing slowly moving to flying B - 2s . However the 131st and the F - 15 ' s are still on active duty . In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations , DoD recommended to realign the 131st Fighter Wing . The 110th ' s F - 15s ( 15 aircraft ) would be distributed to the 57th Fighter Wing , Nellis Air Force Base , Nevada ( nine aircraft ) , and 177th Fighter Wing , Atlantic City International Airport AGS , NJ ( six aircraft ) . After which , the unit was moved to Whiteman AFB and became the first Air National Guard B - 2 Spirit Stealth Bomber unit . The F - 15 ' s began to leave Lambert on 15 August 2008 and by January 2009 , most of the 13 remaining aircraft were in the main hangar being stripped of markings or already had their markings removed . The final two F - 15C ' s departed on 13 June 2009 after a closing ceremony titled " The End Of An Era " , that was attended by over 2 , 000 people . Some pilots are taking B - 2 Training courses while others are changing units , or decided to retire early . The 131st Fighter Wing was the most experienced F - 15 Fighter Wing in the United States ; out of the four pilots that flew over 4 , 000 F - 15 flight hours , three of them were from the unit . The transition occurred on 4 October 2008 when the 131st Bomb Wing in a ribbon cutting ceremony at Whiteman , AFB . The ceremony celebrated the first official drill for traditional guardsmen at Whiteman and the grand opening of building 3006 , the 131st Bomb Wing ' s headquarters there . On 16 June 2009 , the last F - 15 departed Lambert Field .