At 6:35 a.m. local time, B-52G crews from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., take off to begin what would be the longest bombing mission in history at the time. Carrying 39 AGM-86C Air Launched Cruise Missiles (a conventional version of the nuclear-armed General Dynamics AGM-86B ALCM), the bomber crews fly to the Middle East and launch their missiles against high-priority targets in Iraq to mark the start of Operation Desert Storm. The clandestine mission, officially dubbed Operation Senior Surprise but often called Operation Secret Squirrel, lasted 35 hours and covered 14,000 miles.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.