Whiteman Air Force Base

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Whiteman Air Force Base

IATA: SZL - ICAO: KSZL
Summary
Airport type		Military
Operator		USAF
Elevation AMSL		870 ft (265 m)
Coordinates		38°43′49.048″N, 93°32′52.763″W
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
1/19	12,400	3,789	Concrete

Whiteman Air Force Base (Whiteman AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force in Johnson County, Missouri, United States. It is near the town of Knob Noster, Missouri. The population was 3,814 at the 2000 census. The base is the home of the 509th Bomb Wing, which operates the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demographics
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Whiteman AFB is located at 38°43′58″N, 93°33′17″W (38.732758, -93.554851)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 13.4 km² (5.2 mi²), all land.

Nearby towns include Knob Noster and Warrensburg.

[edit] History

The base was activated in 1942 during World War II as Sedalia Glider Base. In 1951 it passed to Strategic Air Command and was modified for use by heavy bombers. First B-47 aircraft were deployed there in 1954. In 1955 Sedalia AFB was renamed to Whiteman AFB in honor of 2d Lt. George A. Whiteman, a native of Sedalia and one of the first American airmen killed in World War II, during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

In 1961 US Government decided to use Whiteman AFB as a support base for a wing of Minuteman ICBMs. In the next few years huge construction works were carried out in the vicinity of the base, with 150 missiles silos and 15 launch control centers being built, together with the necessary support infrastructure. The first Minuteman missile arrived at Whiteman on January 14, 1964. The 351st Strategic Missile Wing continued to serve until the end of the Cold War, and then were deactivated in the 1990s in accordance with arms reduction treaties (START) between the US and Russia.

In the late 1980s, a new chapter in the history of the base opened with the decision to base the new B-2 stealth bombers there headed by Col. Larry Fisher. Again a massive construction project was carried out to build the facilites necessary to handle the unique aircraft. The first B-2 landed at the base on December 17, 1993. All 21 B-2's are stationed at Whiteman under the command of the 509th Bomb Wing and its two bomb squadrons, the 13th and 393d.

The 509 BW is the host unit at Whiteman Air Force Base; the other major units are the 442d Fighter Wing, the Missouri Army National Guard's 1/135th Aviation Battalion, and the Navy Reserve's Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit 114.

[edit] Demographics

Location of Whiteman AFB, Missouri.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 3,814 people, 931 households, and 901 families residing in the town. The population density was 284.8/km² (737.7/mi²). There were 982 housing units at an average density of 73.3/km² (189.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.78% White, 9.73% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.45% Pacific Islander, 2.20% from other races, and 3.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.74% of the population.

There were 931 households out of which 79.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 90.1% were married couples living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 3.2% were non-families. 2.7% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.53 and the average family size was 3.56.

In the town the population was spread out with 37.6% under the age of 18, 25.7% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 1.2% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females there were 125.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 130.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,664, and the median income for a family was $32,586. Males had a median income of $22,095 versus $16,466 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,538. About 5.6% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.