# Kansas national guard flying B-1B aircraft **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 8, 2022, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-national-guard-flying-b-1b-aircraft/960703 "2022-03-08T23:04:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-national-guard-flying-b-1b-aircraft/960703/1 "2022-03-08T23:04:53Z")
I was googling what National Guard units fly F-16s that may be given to Poland, and found that the Kansas Air National Guard converted to B-1B supersonic bombers. Why does a national guard fly bombers? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-national-guard-flying-b-1b-aircraft/960703/2 "2022-03-08T23:10:25Z")
I don’t believe the “National” part means “domestic”. The National Guard deploys overseas. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-national-guard-flying-b-1b-aircraft/960703/3 "2022-03-08T23:14:37Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Why does a national guard fly bombers? Army and Air National Guard units are Reserve Components of their respective services. Although they are under nominal control of their state governor to be called up in case of disaster, civil unrest, or other emergency, personnel and equipment therein can (and have, in both Iraq Wars and Afghanistan) be transferred to their service chain of command for deployment in foreign conflicts or actions; hence, the are constituted similar to active duty units. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-national-guard-flying-b-1b-aircraft/960703/4 "2022-03-08T23:15:25Z")
It was the first guard unit to fly bombers. Read the long and short of it in the _Air Force Magazine_, from 1994, > **[Bombers in the Guard | Air & Space Forces Magazine](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/1094bombers/)** > > The first B-1Bs in the Air National Guard are now flying at McConnell AFB, Kan. > ANG’s 184th Fighter Group was selected to receive the B-1Bs for a host of reasons. First, USAF is engaged in a significant drawdown of its force structure. From a peak of thirty-seven tactical fighter wings in 1989, the service has shrunk to slightly more than twenty wings. With the need to train F-16 pilots consequently reduced, the demand for the services of ANG’s instructor pilots ebbed. > > Second, the Total Force concept envisions Guard personnel participating in just about every aspect of Air Force operations. In the past, Guard units have flown attack aircraft, fighters, tankers, and transports. As it became apparent that the 184th required a new mission, the proximity of McConnell’s B-1Bs made the solution fairly obvious. > > “The major reason for shifting it to the Guard was, as we look at the total force, we want to make sure that we have a balanced force,” said General Shepperd. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-national-guard-flying-b-1b-aircraft/960703/5 "2022-03-08T23:19:17Z")
Because they’re an integral part of the full national defense force. Guard bomber squadrons have been part of the ANG TO&E since the modern National Guard was established immediately post WWII, and Guard squadrons have flown the B-1B Lancer as part of the Strategic strike force since after Gulf War I as a consequence of the Air Force reorganization at that time. (As @Max_S posted.) Hell, the 110th Bomber Squadron is co-located at Whiteman AFB with Active Duty bomber squadrons and flies the B-2 Spirit stealth heavy bomber. > **[110th Bomb Squadron](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/110th_Bomb_Squadron)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > The 110th Bomb Squadron (110 BS) is a unit of the Missouri Air National Guard 131st Bomb Wing located at Whiteman Air Force Base, Knob Noster, Missouri. The 110th is equipped with the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit. > The 110 BS is the oldest unit in the Missouri Air National Guard, with over 90 years of service to the state and nation. It is a descendant organization of the World War I 110th Aero Squadron, established on 14 August 1917. It was refo... ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-national-guard-flying-b-1b-aircraft/960703/6 "2022-03-08T23:37:12Z")
Thanks, guys.