Whiteman AFB, MO

Whiteman AFB is a Johnson County CDP in west-central Missouri, two miles south of Knob Noster along U.S. Highway 50. The place is an active military installation, with runways, housing, mission buildings, family services, and training areas shaping its daily map. Its regional ties run toward Warrensburg and Sedalia, while the surrounding landscape is rolling farm country.

The base began in 1942 as Sedalia Glider Base and trained glider and paratroop units during World War II. It closed after the war, returned to service in 1951, and became the home of the 509th Bomb Wing. The first B-2 sortie launched from Whiteman in 1993, and the base now includes the 509th, 442nd, and 131st wings along with Army National Guard and Navy Reserve units. Airfield work, military families, schools, visitors, and the nearby towns all meet in this compact piece of Missouri. The result is a community measured by missions, shifts, and long-standing ties to the towns outside the gate.