AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar -- Forty service members received a B-1 Lancer tour as part of a new incentive program Nov. 24 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
The B-1 Lancer is a highly versatile, multi-mission weapon system. The bomber carries the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons of any aircraft in the Air Force inventory; a whopping 48,000 pounds, approximately six times the average bomb load of the B-17 during World War II.
The bomber is in high demand. During the first six months of Operation Enduring Freedom, B-1s from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing dropped nearly 40 percent of the total tonnage delivered by coalition air forces. Since July 1, 2015, the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron has dropped more than 3,000 weapons in support of Operations Inherent Resolve and Freedom Sentinel.
Service members were selected for the tour by their unit leadership as a reward for outstanding performance, said Capt. James Layne, 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron current operations flight commander and the tour coordinator.
“We wanted to give people some insight on the B-1 and its capabilities and show them how they are involved in that mission,” Layne said. “We want them to know they’re supporting the B-1 every time it takes-off.”
The tour began with a presentation of the B-1’s capabilities.
“The B-1 is a long range strategic bomber, we can do a lot of things and we can strike multiple targets at one time with incredible precision,” said Capt. John, 37th EBS pilot.
“The B-1 is commonly used to demonstrate a show of force, as well as combat support, non-traditional ISR and air interdiction,” John said. “We also carry an enormous amount of munitions and we can mix and match the bomb load any way we want.”
The bomber can carry 84 500-pound bombs or more than 20 2,000-pound bombs. The aircraft also generates 120,000 pounds of thrust with its four afterburners.
The radar on the aircraft also supports its lethal capabilities.
“With the radar we can get high resolution ground maps and identify buildings, vehicles, roads and intersections,” John said. “We can then target those areas without ever actually seeing them.”
The radar on the B-1 is so accurate it can identify potential targets at distances up to 45 nautical miles away and the aircraft can fly as low as 200 feet.
“That’s what we bring to the fight,” John said.
Once the presentation was complete, everyone was transported to the flight line to see the B-1 up close. During the tour, service members climbed inside the cockpit, learned from B-1 crew chiefs about various parts of the aircraft and even wrote messages on bombs loaded into one of the airframe’s bomb bays.
Tech. Sgt. Miguel Rivera, Central Command Forward Headquarters power production specialist, said he enjoyed learning about the B-1.
“I’ve driven by this flight line quite often and seen the wonderful aircraft out here nearly every day,” Rivera said. “When I heard about the tour I was delighted to take part. It’s an overwhelming experience.”
Rivera lived in New York on 9/11. On the day the World Trade Center Towers fell he witnessed the carnage from his apartment building.
Before deploying to AUAB, his commander told him “‘Don’t forget New York.’”
“I saw the New York skyline from my window,” Rivera said. “When I first saw the towers in flames it hit me so hard; it was surreal.”
With the memory of 9/11 fresh in his mind more than 14 years later, Rivera climbed a ladder and carefully wrote a message on a bomb he hopes will find America’s enemies.
The message Rivera wrote was “Payback for 9/11 and Paris,” referencing the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history and the worst in France since WWII.
Staff Sgt. Michael Geremia, CENTCOM Forward HQ unit deployment manager, said the B-1 tour was very special.
“It’s a great opportunity to see what we’re all about, see what our mission focus is and experience history,” Geremia said. “It’s a tremendous benefit to be here and see what we’re fighting for.”
Geremia said, if he had the authority, he would make the tour mandatory for all service members.
“If I was the commander, I would make tours like this mandatory for everyone,” he said. “It’s good for everyone to experience this, it brings a great sense of pride seeing what these aircraft can do and seeing how we all fit into the Air Force and support this mission.”
Geremia also wrote a message on one of the B-1’s bombs before the tour ended; it read “For America.”