WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- The 509th Bomb Wing and Missouri Air National Guard's 131st Bomb Wing received the Air Force Historical Foundation's 2025 James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle Award and the Air National Guard Award for Superior Unit Performance, recognizing the teamwork, innovation and operational excellence that culminated in Operation Midnight Hammer, July 28, 2026.
Named in honor of the pioneering Airman, the annual award recognizes organizations whose accomplishments leave a lasting impact on the Air Force and the nation's defense.
“I believe with all my heart this would have been one of my grandfather's favorite awards,” said Jonna Doolittle Hoppes, granddaughter of the award's namesake. “It isn't about an individual. It's about everyone who contributed to the success of Operation Midnight Hammer.”
On June 21, 2025, Airmen assigned to the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings launched seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base to strike two Iranian nuclear facilities.
The operation marked the largest operational employment of the B-2 Spirit to date and the first combat use of the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, delivering 14 precision-guided weapons against hardened underground targets.
“GBU-57s and B-2 bombers are technology,” said retired Gen. James Slife, former vice chief of staff of the Air Force. “It's Airmen that breathe life into technology and turn it into combat capability.”
That capability was put to the ultimate test when the order was received.
“When the President called, this set of wings here at Whiteman delivered absolutely brilliantly,” Slife said.
That success reflected years of preparation across every squadron and career field.
“The mission showcased to the world how an unrivaled team of teams operates,” said Col. Joshua Wiitala, 509th Bomb Wing commander.
More than 4,000 Airmen representing 20 squadrons and hundreds of specialties supported the operation, from maintainers and intelligence professionals to logisticians, communicators, medical personnel, and support teams.
“There's only one country in the world that could have pulled this off,” Wiitala said. “And only one team, and that team starts with the Airmen here at Whiteman.”
Success depended on much more than the aircraft that captured the world's attention
“When people look at Whiteman, it's like looking at a Swiss watch.” Slife said. "Everyone sees the face of the watch, the B-2s and the GBU-57s, but what makes it a precision timepiece are the gears and springs behind the face."
Beyond the two pilots in the cockpit, transforming advanced technology into airpower requires the entire wing working in sync and every role acts as a crucial gear in the overall mechanism.
“One of the key parts of that timepiece is the 131st Air National Guard Component,” said Slife. “Which, for nearly 20 years, has been integral to the mission here at Whiteman.”
Operation Midnight Hammer clearly demonstrated this mission partnership between the active-duty 509th Bomb Wing and the Missouri Air National Guard's 131st Bomb Wing, a concept known as Total Force Integration. During the operation, Air National Guardsmen participated directly in a strategic B-2 strike package for the first time.
“The sum of these two wings is greater than the individual parts,” said Col. Matthew Howard, 131st Bomb Wing commander.
For nearly two decades, both wings have trained, deployed and fought as a single Total Force team, bringing together the experience of the Air National Guard with the responsiveness of the active-duty force.
“Whiteman is the standard for what right looks like. The Airmen of the 131st and the 509th are absolutely, critically intertwined,” Howard said.
More than eight decades after the Doolittle Raiders demonstrated the reach and resolve of American airpower, the award-bearing Jimmy Doolittle's name continues to recognize the same qualities that defined the mission in 1942. For Team Whiteman, Operation Midnight Hammer became the latest chapter in that legacy.
“The sheer boldness of Operation Midnight Hammer reminds me of the Doolittle Raid,” Hoppes said. “Every one of you volunteered for a high-risk mission that had never been done before.”
This recognition reflects the pioneering spirit and bravery of today’s Airmen, uniting every generation that shaped the Air Force.
"I'm proud to stand before the team that pulled this off," Wiitala said. "More than that, thank you for stepping up over and over again to defend this great nation."