B-52 Bombers to Drop Live Munitions Near Fort Cavazos in March

B-52 Stratofortress aircraft from the 20th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana are midway through four days of live munitions training at Fort Cavazos, with crews releasing 500-pound munitions into the installation's designated impact area each day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Thursday, March 12.

The low-altitude bombing runs, which began Sunday, March 9, are designed to support aircrew proficiency and joint readiness, according to Fort Hood officials. All operations are confined exclusively to the designated training areas on the installation, officials said, and the impact area remains restricted to unauthorized personnel for the duration of the exercise.

Anyone living in Copperas Cove, Killeen, Gatesville, or elsewhere near the installation should expect to hear loud booms and elevated aircraft noise during the daily four-hour window. Similar training was most recently conducted in December.

"Fort Hood officials emphasize that all operations are carefully planned and coordinated to ensure the safety of service members and the surrounding community," the installation said in a statement.

Fort Hood is asking the public not to enter restricted training areas and to report any unexploded ordnance or suspicious object to 911 or the Fort Hood Directorate of Emergency Services.

The B-52 Stratofortress, which first flew in 1952 and has seen combat service from Vietnam through the Global War on Terror, remains one of the Air Force's primary heavy bombers. The 20th Bomb Squadron operates out of Barksdale, roughly 250 miles east of Fort Cavazos, and periodically deploys aircraft to Central Texas ranges for live-fire proficiency work of this kind.