509th responds to START agreement request

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Stan Coleman
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  The quiet Sunday morning of July 26 for Maj. Mark Riselli, 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander, was brought to an end by a call at 5:30 a.m. from the 509th Maintenance Operations Center. The Russian Nuclear Risk Reduction Center of the Russian Federation issued a formal request at 3 a.m. (Whiteman AFB time) to the United States for an open display of heavy bombers (the B-2 Spirit) in accordance with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. 

The 509th Bomb Wing Command Post received the request at 5 a.m. 

"The request is in accordance with Article XIII of the treaty which permits a co-signor of the agreement -United States, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the Ukraine--to make a request for an open arms display within 30 days of the completion of a major strategic exercise--in this case Global Thunder '09," said Mr. Martin Bessant, 509th Bomb Wing Treaty Compliance Office chief. "A request for an open display of treaty accountable items is one of many tools in the START agreement designed to monitor compliance within the constraints of the treaty. " 

The Treaty requires the United States to display all available heavy bombers in the open within 12 hours of the time of the request. The bombers must remain on display until 18 hours after the request. 

Coordination for the open display of B-2 bombers 

"Multiple work centers had to be coordinated with to execute aircraft tow/movements per the START requirements," said Major Riselli. "We had to coordinate with the 509th Operations Support Squadron to ensure our outdoor parking plan for the B-2 would not impact flying and/or airfield operations already scheduled for Sunday morning. 

"The 509th Maintenance Operations Squadron was also contacted to ensure the Maintenance Operations Center was involved in the reprioritizing of previously scheduled B-2 maintenance actions," he said. "The MOC also played a key role throughout the day coordinating key information as well as keeping leadership informed as to the progress on the flight line. Finally, the 509th Security Forces Squadron was contacted to ensure proper security coverage."

According to Major Riselli, the most challenging aspect of responding to any real-world request is timing. "Is there enough time to respond to what you've been asked to accomplish," he said. "We did have enough time, but it took great upfront coordinating, communication, planning and execution to accomplish the maintenance we already had planned for the B-2 fleet against the requirement to tow the aircraft out of their hangars per START guidance." 

A request for an open display of the 509th's B-2s has been made seven times in the past. This is Major Riselli's third time responding to a request at Whiteman. More than 10 bombers were parked in the open on Whiteman's flightline. "The START requirement directed us to have aircraft displayed from 3 to 9 p.m.," said Major Riselli. "Tow operations began at 11 a.m. Sunday morning. The B-2s were returned to their hangars at approximately midnight." 

In addition to ensuring proper coordination during the START request, Major Riselli's other duties involved briefing group and wing leadership on START planning, execution and any challenges encountered that need higher-level support to overcome. 

"While Whiteman AFB may feel like a small town with a small town pace at 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning our activity level becomes high speed when international events such as complying with the START agreement kicks off," said Major Riselli.