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- General Information -
SPIRIT TOURS
Spirit Tours are geared toward families and members of the general public. These tours are held one Friday per month during the March through August tour season. Spirit Tours are not intended for organizations or clubs, but rather members of the general public who are interested in learning more about the history, missions and assets of Whiteman Air Force Base.
A maximum of 40 guests are allowed on a Spirit Tour and no more than 10 slots are allowed per family or group. This rule is strictly enforced. The intent of a Spirit tour is to allow as many members of the general public as possible to tour the base, therefore groups may not sign up for the maximum number of slots (10) for multiple Spirit tours. All Spirit Tour reservations are taken on a first come, first serve basis.
2010 SPIRIT TOUR DATES
March 26, 2010- Spirit One
April 23, 2010-Spirit Two
May 21, 2010- Spirit One
June 11, 2010-Spirit Two
June 25, 2010-Spirit One
July 16, 2010- Spirit Two
August 13, 2010-Spirit One
Tour Policies
Tour dates are scheduled months in advance and are pre-coordinated with supporting units on base. Because tour itineraries and security paperwork must be pre-coordinated, we are not able to accommodate drop-ins or last-minute tour requests.
All interested participants must contact the public affairs office to sign up for a tour. The base does not offer weekend tours due to limited manning.
Tours are subject to change or may be canceled, with little or no notice, due to mission requirements or inclement weather.
All guests visiting Whiteman must provide:
--Full names of all guests attending
--Social Security numbers
--Address, e-mail and phone number for the group's main coordinator. (This information is required to send confirmation letter and/or notify of cancellation, etc.)
--If any guests attending the tour are non-U.S. citizens, please notify the Public Affairs office upon making tour reservations.
This information must be provided to 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs Office no later than two weeks before the requested tour date. Confirmation letters will be mailed approximately three weeks before a scheduled tour with a reminder about the information needed. No last minute additions will be allowed on base. Spirit One
This tour takes place 8:40 a.m.-noon and includes a wing mission brief, which highlights each unit on base and how they contribute to the defense of America, an Oscar-01 missile launch control facility tour, a viewing of the 509th Bomb Wing's B-2 static, and a short windshield tour of the base. Maximum participants 40. Cameras are allowed and encouraged on the tour.
What is Oscar-1?
From 1964 to 1993, Whiteman AFB's Oscar-01 served as command center for 10 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. Oscar was one of 15 such facilities that were spread out across west central Missouri. Oscar stood out, however, as it was the only such operational site actually located on a base. Today, the site is a tribute to all Air Force members who pulled alert duty and kept the system operational during the Cold War. As such, Oscar is open for tours. People who have base access can call (660) 687-6560 to schedule a separate tour of Oscar-01.
Spirit Two Tour
This tour takes place 8:40 a.m.-noon and includes a wing mission brief, which highlights each unit on base and how they contribute to the defense of America, a viewing of the 442nd Fighter Wing's A-10, the Missouri Army National Guard's 1-135th Attack Battalion AH-64A Apache helicopter, a viewing of the 509th Bomb Wing's B-2 static, and a short windshield tour of the base. Maximum participants: 40. Cameras are allowed and encouraged on the tour.
Directions to Base
If you're coming from the West
Kansas City - Take I-70 East to Hwy 13 South, follow Hwy 13 to Warrensburg, at US 50 go East toward Knob Noster, at Knob Noster turn South on Hwy 23 and follow the signs. Royal Oaks Golf Course entrance is located on the right about 1/4 mile south of the Spirit Gate.
Lee's Summit - Take US 50 East, at Knob Noster turn South on Hwy 23 and follow the signs. Royal Oaks Golf Course entrance is located on the right about 1/4 mile south of the Spirit Gate.
If you're coming from the East
Columbia - Take I-70 West to US 65 South, follow US 65 toward Sedalia, at the US 50 and US 65 intersection turn West on US 50 toward Knob Noster. At Hwy 23, turn South and follow the signs. Royal Oaks Golf Course entrance is located on the right about 1/4 mile south of the Spirit Gate.
Jefferson City - Take US 50 West toward Sedalia; at the US 50 and US 65 intersection continue West on US 50 toward Knob Noster. At Hwy 23, turn South and follow the signs. Royal Oaks Golf Course entrance is located on the right about 1/4 mile south of the Spirit Gate.
If you're coming from the South
Springfield - Take US 65 North to Hwy 52, turn West on Hwy 52 toward Windsor, turn West on Hwy 2, at Hwy 23 turn North toward Knob Noster and follow the signs. Royal Oaks Golf Course entrance is located on the left about 1/4 mile south of the Spirit Gate.
Clinton - Take Hwy 52 East toward Windsor, turn West on Hwy 2, at Hwy 23 turn North toward Knob Noster and follow the signs. Royal Oaks Golf Course entrance is located on the right about 1/4 mile south of the Spirit Gate.
Group Tours
Group tours are geared toward people affiliated with organizations, clubs, etc., who want to tour the base as a group of 10 to 40 people. Group tours are in high demand and booked nearly a year in advance. To request a group tour please call 660-687-6121.
For more information, call the Public Affairs office at (660) 687-6121.
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