• Where every sortie begins and ends

    Barksdale is home to the more than 65-year-old backbone of the United States’ strategic bomber force, the B-52H Stratofortress. There are numerous components that all work together to ensure this aircraft can take flight at any given time, but one office in particular is charged with the

  • Barksdale’s crew chiefs keep the birds in the sky

    It’s not pixie dust that turns 185,000 lbs. of machinery into a lethal, combat-ready B-52H Stratofortress prepared to fly at a moments notice, no, it’s a crew chief.With the task of keeping B-52’s in tip-top shape, it’s the responsibility of Barksdale’s crew chiefs to coordinate all necessary

  • Striking the enemy: WSO’s train to fight

    B-52’s and bombs, the two are synonymous when it comes to Barksdale’s global strike capabilities, but what often goes unrecognized, are the men and women inside the plane who actually employ those weapons.Without the skilled Airmen who earn the title of weapons system officer, the lethal B-52H

  • History in the making: final CALCM missile package retired

    The sun has set on an integral component of the United States long-range strategic bombing capabilities as the final Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) package was downloaded and disassembled at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, Nov. 20, 2019.Initially beginning design in 1974, the

  • MacDill broadens global strike

    When carrying out the nation’s top mission, there is no room for failure. The nation relies on the capabilities of its armed forces to ensure that freedoms endure. Strategic deterrence is the responsibility of Airmen from each of the Air Force’s major commands and Air Mobility Command’s role is to

  • Bomber Task Force 20-1 Completes Mission in Europe

    On the evening of the October 10, 2019, four B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers from the 2nd Bomb Wing departed Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, enroute to a month-long deployment at RAF Fairford, England. While based at RAF Fairford, the bombers, air crew, maintainers and support personnel