Airmen of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., recently completed—despite severely cold weather—a 48-hour exercise dubbed Prairie Knight to prepare for an operational readiness inspection slated for this summer. “Even in extreme weather, our challenging flight activity plan of 24 sorties in 48 hours got off to a great start,” said Col. Julian Tolbert, 5th BW vice commander, after the first night. The exercise takes two to three months to plan, according to Lt. Col. Rolando Diaz, 5th BW chief of plans, who explained, “The further lead time the better in ensuring the levels of injects and details—to make it more realistic.” (Minot report)
The Air Force Historical Foundation has recognized two Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber wings among the winners of its 2025-2026 prestigious annual awards, selecting both for their part in Operation Midnight Hammer, the daring raid on Iran’s fortified nuclear weapons sites.
