Whiteman Air Force Base, 60 miles southeast of Kansas City in Missouri, supports more than 8,800 military personnel, Department of Defense civilians and Air Force family members. It's the home of the 509th Bomb Wing and the celebrated fighting plane, the B-2 Spirit. The B-2 delivers massive firepower anywhere in the world, and breaks down previously impenetrable defenses.

Whiteman began in 1942 as Sedalia Army Air Field. It was used as a training base for WACO glider pilots, who participated in the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, and the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. After the war, the base was the site of a Strategic Air Command bombardment wing, supporting both bombers and tankers, including the first all-jet bomber, the B-47.

In 1955 the base was renamed in honor of 2nd Lt. George A. Whiteman. Whiteman was a Sedalia native who was shot down at Pearl Harbor as he tried to intercept attacking Japanese aircraft. He was one of the first American airmen killed in combat during World War II.

Cold War Home of the Minuteman ICBM

In the 60s, the base became the home of the 351st Strategic Missile Wing, the fourth wing to deploy SAC's new Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile. The Minuteman was an important part of the base's deterrent mission throughout the Cold War era. The missiles were deactivated in 1995 as a result of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Tenant units today include the Navy Reserve, the Air Force Reserve, the Missouri National Guard, the Air Combat Command Training Support Squadron and the Civil Air Patrol.