Former B-2 pilot instructor speaks out after Operation Midnight Hammer

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – B-2 Bombers returned to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri Sunday.

Called Operation Midnight Hammer, President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. launched strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. This marks the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history.

Former B-2 Instructor Pilot Joseph VanDusen spoke with 22News, giving a glimpse of what it takes to pull off a mission like this. He is praising the men and women involved in the mission. VanDusen was a B-2 pilot instructor from 2012 to 2017.

“They’ve been hand-selected to perform this mission. They’re America’s 911 force, and when they’re called upon, they will execute at this very high level. They sacrificed many weekends and family time. All because they are patriots that just love this country,” says VanDusen.

The B-2 Stealth Bomber has a total of two crew pilots. B-2s are capable of carrying the country’s heaviest bombs and nuclear weapons. According to senior Pentagon officials, the day before the mission, some of the B-2s took part in a plan involving deception and decoys. This came as news reports on Saturday showed several of them were headed towards Guam.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that it was a “deception effort” and all part of the mission.

“We train 16-hour-plus missions a few times a year. It’s not a comfy 787, which I fly right now. They blow up a mattress behind the ejection seat, and then they sleep there during a mission. You’re trying to take a nap and stay fresh during a mission like this, and your adrenaline is pumping. At first, air fueling, you’re doing well, then second air refueling, you’re adjusting and now you’re getting jacked up to do the mission. When you come out of that, there’s a bit of a letdown. So when you get out of it, you can do what you need to do, but then when you’re done with execution, and now you’ve got to make it back home,” says VanDusen.

The pilots on the seven B-2 Bombers used for the mission in Iran flew for 37 hours non-stop. This marks the longest mission for B-2 bombers since 2001.

VanDusen has also written several books about his experience and life after being a part of the B-2 community, including How To Elevate Your Life & Leadership and Stealth Elevate: Warning: Secrets to Annihilate Life, Leadership and Business!.

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