Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627
Monday, March 6, 2006

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kit Bond and Congressman Ike Skelton, along with Senator Jim Talent and Governor Matt Blunt, today announced that the Air Force has selected the 131st Fighter Wing stationed at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis to join the elite B-2 mission at Whiteman Air Force Base.

Today’s announcement means the 131st Fighter Wing’s personnel will team up with the world’s only B-2 long-range stealth bomber mission located at Whiteman Air Force Base. The move will pair the 131st’s guard unit air crew, maintenance personnel and support staff with the current active-duty B-2 unit. The 131st was selected from Air Guard units across the country to support the B-2s.

“I am pleased that the U.S. Air Force found a way to preserve the 131st, one of the most experienced and proven Air Guard units in the country,” said Senator Kit Bond. “To be chosen from Air Guard units across the country, this announcement is a real honor for the 131st.”

"This B-2 Associate mission gives members of the Missouri Air National Guard an important new role, allowing them to continue to make critical contributions to our national security. I am very pleased that the Air Force recognized the importance of retaining these important skills here in Missouri," said Skelton. "This new Missouri Air National Guard unit will only add to Whiteman's reputation as one of the finest U.S. military installations in the world. It is my continued desire that Whiteman Air Force Base be the premier air force base in the nation."

"This is tremendous news for the men and women of the 131st and for Missouri," said U.S. Senator Jim Talent, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "The Missouri delegation has worked together on a bipartisan basis and we are very pleased that the Air Force has selected our Fighter Wing as the only Air National Guard unit in the U.S. to fly the B-2 Stealth Bomber. This is a new chapter in the history of the 131st. I know they will maintain the standard of excellence for which they are known as they take on this new mission."

“As the Commander in Chief of the Missouri National Guard I am pleased that the Air Force selected the fine men and women of the 131st Fighter Wing to join forces with Whiteman Air Force Base,” Blunt said. “Protecting Missourians is one of my highest priorities as governor and this move will help defend our state from both foreign and domestic threats.”

“Establishing an Air National Guard B-2 Associate mission is very exciting for the Missouri Air National Guard,” said Maj. Gen. King Sidwell, Missouri National Guard adjutant general. “While the military is transforming to meet current and future objectives, we are prepared to do whatever necessary to remain an effective part of the total force.”

The decision was made as part of Air Force’s Total Force Integration Plan. In addition to preserving the 131st, one of the most experienced units in combat and flight hours, the news today will help ensure that the Air National Guard remains a part of the total force as it participates in one of the Air Force’s most elite and relevant missions.