509th Bomb Wing The 509th Bomb Wing ( 509 BW ) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command , Eighth Air Force . It is stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base , Missouri . The 509 BW is the host unit at Whiteman AFB , and operates the B - 2 Spirit stealth bomber . The wing can launch combat sorties directly from Missouri to any spot on the globe , engaging adversaries with large payloads of traditional or precision - guided munitions . The wing ' s 509th Operations Group is a direct descendant organization of the World War II 509th Composite Group ( 509th CG ) . The 509th CG had a single mission : to drop the Atomic Bomb . The group made history on 6 August 1945 , when the B - 29 Superfortress , " Enola Gay , " piloted by Col Paul W . Tibbets , Jr . , dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima , Japan . The B - 29 " Bockscar , " piloted by Maj Charles Sweeney flew over the Japanese mainland on 9 August 1945 , and dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki . The current 509 BW also led the way for America ' s first military response following the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D . C . on 11 September 2001 . B - 2 bombers were the first U . S . aircraft to enter Afghan airspace in October 2001 , paving the way for other coalition aircraft to engage Taliban and Al Qaeda forces . During this operation , the aircraft flew roundtrip from Missouri , logging combat missions in excess of 40 hours - the longest on record . The current 509th Bomb Wing commander is Brigadier General Thomas A . Bussiere . Colonel Robert Spalding is Vice Commander and Chief Master Sergeant Lee R . Barr is Command Chief . History . Cold War . The wing was established as 509th Bombardment Wing , Very Heavy , on 3 November 1947 and organized on 17 November 1947 . The initial mission of the 509th Bomb Wing was to carry out strategic bombing missions using Atomic Bombs at the direction of the President of the United States . The wing ' s mission expanded in July 1948 when it received the 509th Air Refueling Squadron and its KB - 29M hose - type tankers and later with B / KB – 29P boom – type tankers . Although aerial refueling had been accomplished as far back as the 1920s , the Air Force decided to make it a permanent part of its operations . In fact , the 509th AREFS was one of the first two AREFSs ever activated . In the first week of December 1948 , the squadron began receiving the KB - 29M , modified B - 29 bombers capable of providing air - to - air refueling for bombers using a refueling hose [ vs . today ' s USAF standard flying boom ] . With the addition of tankers , the 509th ' s bombers could reach nearly any point on earth . In June 1950 , the wing received the B - 50D Superfortress and in January 1954 , the KC - 97 Stratotanker replaced the aging KB - 29Ms . The 509th BW entered the jet age in June 1955 when it received the B - 47E Stratojet , the first all - jet bomber . Deployed as a wing several times in the early 1950s , three times to England on REFLEX deployments and once to Guam , the wing also deployed individual squadrons at other times . Temporarily had no refueling unit during 1958 . The 509th BW moved its personnel and equipment to Pease AFB , New Hampshire in August 1958 . By 1961 it was believed that the B - 47 was becoming obsolete and President John F . Kennedy directed that the phaseout of the B - 47 be accelerated . However this was delayed in July by the onset of the Berlin crisis of 1961 - 62 . The 509th was initially phased down for inactivation in late 1965 as a part of the retirement of the B - 47 , but instead was converted to a B - 52D Stratofortress wing in 1966 . The 509th was taken off nuclear alert as its B - 52Ds were designed to carry a large number of conventional bombs ( 84 500 - lb Mk 82 or 42 750 lb M - 117 s ) for service in the Vietnam War as part of Operation Arc Light . The wing deployed KC - 135 Stratotanker aircraft and crews , November 1966 – December 1975 ; with B – 52 aircraft and crews , November 1966 – September 1969 , and with B – 52 crews , 1970 . From 1 April to 1 October 1968 and 26 March to c . 21 March 1968 , more than one - half of the wing was deployed to Andersen AFB , Guam to support SAC operations in Southeast Asia . On 1 December 1969 was wing redesignated as the 509th Bombardment Wing , Medium and began receiving the FB - 111 A strategic bomber in December 1970 . The FB - 111A was the all - weather strategic bombing version of the Tactical Air Command F - 111 which was equipped to carry the AGM - 69 SRAM that carried a nuclear warhead with an explosive yield of 200 kilotons . The 509th would operate the aircraft for two decades . Won the SAC Bombing and Navigation competition and the Fairchild trophy in 1979 , 1981 , 1982 , and 1983 . Awarded the Sanders trophy for best air refueling unit in 1982 . As the Rockwell B - 1B Lancer came into service , the FB - 111 became redundant to SAC needs In 1988 , Pease AFB was identified as one of several Air Force installations to be closed by 1991 as part of a Base Realignment and Closure Commission ( BRAC ) recommendation . The 509th ' s FB - 111s were transferred from SAC to TAC between June and December 1990 , being re - designated as the F - 111G and converted into a tactical bomber . Modern era . In 1988 , Congressman Ike Skelton ( D - MO ) announced the B - 2 Advanced Technology Bomber would be based at Whiteman AFB , Missouri . It was also announced that the 509th Bombardment Wing would become the USAF ' s first B - 2 Spirit active - duty wing . Military personnel began leaving Pease AFB in June 1990 , and on 30 September 1990 , the 509th was inactivated at Pease and activated at Whiteman as a non - operational unit the same day without aircraft , personnel or equipment . With the reassignment the unit was redesignated as the 509th Bombardment Wing , Heavy . On 1 June 1992 , the Air Force disestablished the Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) , transferring all bomber aircraft to the newly established Air Combat Command ( ACC ) . The 509th was redesignated the 509th Bomb Wing on 1 September 1991 , and became part of the new Air Combat Command on 1 June 1992 . On 1 February 2009 , the 509th Bomb Wing became part of the Air Force ' s newest command , Air Force Global Strike Command ( AFGSC ) . In 1993 , after two years of non - operational status , the 509th became operational again . On 1 March 1993 , the wing activated the 509th Operations Group as part of the 509th Bomb Wing ' s reorganization under the USAF Objective Wing plan . All flying squadrons , as well as an Operational Support Squadron ( OSS ) were assigned to the 509th OG . The wing grew larger on 1 July 1993 , when it accepted host responsibilities for Whiteman from the 351st Missile Wing . Its 509th OG received the first operational B - 2 Spirit stealth bomber on 17 December 1993 ( the date was the 49th anniversary of the activation of the 509th Composite Group and the 90th of the Wright brothers ' flight ) . Since its arrival at Whiteman , the 509th underwent inspections , tests , and other challenges to insure it was ready to return as an integral part of the nation ’ s defensive coalition . With the B - 2 , the wing can bring massive firepower to bear , in a short time , anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses . The wing has deployed elements into combat over the skies of Serbia as part of Operation Allied Force in 1999 ; Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom , in 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom , and in 2011 during Operation Odyssey Dawn . The wing began to continuously deploy to Andersen AFB , Guam , in February 2005 . This deployment provides a continuous bomber presence in the Asia - Pacific region and augmented Pacific Command ' s establishment of a deterrent force . A July 2009 inspection conducted by the Air Force Audit Agency found that the wing put nuclear weapons - related materials at risk by not adequately controlling access to the secure storage area where the materials were kept . In response to the findings , the wing changed its access rules . 131st Bomb Wing . 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 BW . 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 . Emblem . Or , in base a label Gules of three , surmounted by an atomic cloud Proper , between a pair of wings Azure ; all with a diminished bordure of the first . Attached below the shield a White scroll edged with a narrow Yellow border and inscribed " DEFENSOR VINDEX " in Blue letters . The 509th Bombardment Wing ' s emblem is rich in tradition . Each symbol on the shield represents some part of the past . The Air Force wings represent the branch of service but are not in the familiar outstretched position . When the ancient Greeks approached a stranger , they raised their arms with palms outward to show they were carrying no weapons - a sign of peace . The 509th obtained special permission to display the wings in this configuration to show that it , too , comes in peace . The atomic cloud burst represents two things : that the 509th is the only unit to ever drop atomic bombs in wartime and that it still uses atomic power as a deterrent to war and defender of peace . Finally , the eldest son symbol ( the red tripod ) shows that the wing is the oldest atomic trained military unit in the world . Components . Wing Groups Squadrons