Ten years ago this month, six B-2s from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo., struck the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, kick-starting Operation Enduring Freedom. One of the B-2s in that initial wave flew a 44.3-hour mission, still the longest bombing mission in aviation history, according to the wing. More than a decade later, some of those same B-2 pilots remain involved in the aircraft’s conventional and nuclear strategic deterrent mission, said wing officials. And, the B-2s continue to be the leading edge when the nation needs them. Earlier this year, in March, B-2s took off from Whiteman to drop bombs on former Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi’s forces in Libya, again opening the doors to a conflict, this time NATO’s air war. (Whiteman report by SrA. Cody H. Ramirez)
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
