Latest news with #U.S.StrategicCommand
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Whiteman Air Force Base receives prestigious award
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE — The home of the B-2 bomber is being recognized with an award for its commitment to national security. The U.S. Strategic Command honored Whiteman Air Force Base on Monday with the Omaha trophy for their hard work in 2024. KC firefighter's death highlights rise in violence against health care workers nationwide There are four categories for the award. The 509th Bomb Wing received the Omaha Trophy for Excellence in Strategic Execution. Col. Keith Butler is commander of the 509th Bomb Wing and Whiteman Air Force Base. He said the committee highlighted a few reasons why they were awarded this trophy, including a combat mission last fall in Yemen, as well as a bomber task force deployment. 'This is where we take, they take a couple of different bombers, whether they're B-1s, B-2s or B-52s, and send them off to different parts around the world,' Butler said. 'To ensured hat both our allies can be assured of our nations nuclear umbrella our ability to do strategic engagement and to work on the inner ability to showcase that partnership.' The U.S. Strategic Command consultation committee helps make the decision each year. FOX4 is told the Omaha Trophy is the highest distinction awarded to a nuclear-enterprise unit by a civilian organization. They say it recognizes units that demonstrate 'exceptional performance in global strategic deterrence.' Looking ahead to keeping this trophy next year, Butler said they're currently in another deployment to Diego Garcia. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri He said it's the largest B2 deployment in the history of the program, more than 30 years. 'All the folks that are out there are handling the tasking that has been placed before us, are doing it with professionalism, with competence and again with confidence,' he added. 'So I think we've got a running start for 2025.' FOX4 is told the last time Whiteman Air Force Base received the Omaha Trophy was in 2018. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Iran responds to Trump's nuclear talks proposal as U.S. sends bombers to region
Iran delivered a formal written response to President Trump's letter proposing new nuclear talks and threatening consequences if a deal is not reached swiftly, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday. Why it matters: Trump gave Iran a two-month deadline to sign a new nuclear deal or face potential military action in his letter, sent three weeks ago. Driving the news: Iran delivered its response via the Gulf Sultanate of Oman, which duly notified the U.S., a source with knowledge of the issue confirmed to Axios. The Omanis briefed the U.S. on the messages they received from the Iranians and will deliver the Iranian letter to the White House in the coming days, the source said. The source did not offer details on the nature of the Iranian response. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Araghchi said in a news conference that Iran maintains its position that it won't negotiate directly with the Trump administration so long as Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign is in place, but is willing to hold indirect talks. State of play: Trump and his top advisers have left the door open for talks while also using the threat of military force. In recent days, the U.S. military sent several B-2 stealth bombers to the Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean in a deployment a U.S. official said was "not disconnected" from Trump's two-month deadline. The B-2 bombers can carry huge bunker buster bombs that would be a key element in any possible military action against Iran's underground nuclear facilities. A spokesperson for U.S. Strategic Command confirmed the deployment to Axios and said Stratcom "routinely conducts global operations in coordination with other combatant commands, services, and participating U.S. government agencies to deter, detect and, if necessary, defeat strategic attacks against the United States and its allies." Catch up quick: Three weeks ago in an interview with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo, Trump revealed that he'd sent a letter to the Iranian leader proposing direct negotiations. That letter was delivered by his envoy Steve Witkoff to United Arab Emirates Mohammed Bin Zayed (MBZ), with MBZ's envoy Anwar Gargash traveling to Tehran to deliver it to Araghchi. That same week, Trump said the U.S. is "down to the final moments" with Iran. "We can't let them have a nuclear weapon. Something is going to happen very soon. I would rather have a peace deal than the other option, but the other option will solve the problem," he said. Flashback: Oman played a key role mediating between the U.S. and Iran during the Obama and Biden administrations.
