#1739 393 BS, B-2A Spirit print
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1739 - 82-1067 "Spirit of Arizona", B-2A Spirit, 393rd Bomb Squadron, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.
Activated in early 1944, the 393d Bomb Squadron cemented its place in history in August 1945 when it became the first and only unit in the world to drop atomic bombs in wartime, hastening Japan’s surrender and ending World War II. Two decades and three airframes later the 393d saw action again, this time flying the B-52 Stratofortress during Vietnam ARC LIGHT conventional operations between 1966 and 1969. The 393d entered the 21st Century early, with the arrival of the world’s first operational B-2A Advanced Technology “Stealth” Bomber, the “Spirit of Missouri”, on 17 December 1993. The B-2A is a long-range stealth bomber capable of sustained operations anywhere in the world, employing a variety of conventional or nuclear weapons. The unrefueled range of the B-2A is 6,000 nautical miles, while one air refueling extends its range to approximately 10,000 nautical miles, enabling worldwide strike capabilities with minimal support from other aircraft. On 24 March 1999 the 393d tested the B-2A’s conventional bomber capabilities when it attacked targets in the former Republic of Yugoslavia during Operation ALLIED FREEDOM. After the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the 393d was called upon to fight in the War on Terrorism as a part of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM with the squadron flying the longest combat sortie to date, 44.3 hours. Less than two years later, the 393d led the way on 21 March 2003, at the start of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, flying an unprecedented 6-ship of B-2As on the first night of the conflict, and sustaining operations for the duration of the air campaign from Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory and Whiteman AFB, Missouri. The most recent combat operations for the 393d and the B-2A occurred in Libya during Operations ODYSSEY DAWN in March 2011 and ODYSSEY LIGHTNING in January 2017. Both missions involved employment of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) during roundtrip sorties from Whiteman AFB to targets in Libya. Today, the 393d Bomb Squadron remains prepared to put bombs on target, on time, and ready to answer any threat to the United States and its allies.