In darkness, US Air Force (USAF) B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Crew CHIEF, SENIOR AIRMAN (SRA) Jeremy Pratt, marshals his bomber, the Spirit of Arizona, out for a combat mission over Iraq, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM
Summary
The original finding aid described this photograph as:
Subject Operation/Series: IRAQI FREEDOM
Base: Whiteman Air Force Base
State: Missouri (MO)
Country: United States Of America (USA)
Scene Major Command Shown: ACC
Scene Camera Operator: TSGT Michael R. Nixon, USAF
Release Status: Released to Public
Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files
Iraq War aka Operation IRAQI FREEDOM was the 2003 invasion of Iraq, led by U.S. Army General Tommy Franks, under the code-name "Operation Iraqi Freedom". 248,000 soldiers from the United States, 45,000 British soldiers, 2,000 Australian soldiers and 194 Polish soldiers from Special Forces unit GROM sent to Kuwait for the invasion. The invasion force was also supported by Iraqi Kurdish militia troops, estimated to number upwards of 70,000.
The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy penetration strategic bomber, featuring low observable stealth technology designed for penetrating dense anti-aircraft defenses; it is a flying wing design with a crew of two.