ANG Unit Award

The June 21 operation saw seven B-2 Spirit bombers deliver an overnight strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities, the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history. In a timeline of just weeks, members of the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings turned strategic planning of an unprecedented operation into global execution. During the Iran–Israel War, the 131st Bomb Wing was tasked to participate in Operation Midnight Hammer, the largest operational deployment of the B-2 Spirit in USAF history. On the night of 12–13 June 2025, Missouri Air National Guard Airmen flew alongside active-duty counterparts from the 509th Bomb Wing in a coordinated strike against Iranian nuclear development facilities. Operation Midnight Hammer marked the first time the Air National Guard directly participated in a nuclear-deterrence strike package of this scale.

“The success of this mission demonstrates the precision and potency of a combat-ready Air Force and strategic innovation,” USAF Secretary Dr. Troy Meink said. “The warfighting capability of the Total Force Airmen here and the B-2 Spirit was tested with the world watching, and Team Whiteman performed flawlessly.”

The complex operation incorporated decoy bombers that flew west over the Pacific Ocean. This deceptive tactic was known ahead of time by only a select few mission planners at Whiteman AFB and key leaders at the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command headquarters. The seven aircraft that executed the mission deployed a total of 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, which was the first operational use of the “bunker buster” bombs.