When Air Force officials asked troops to send in their ideas for what to call their new long range bomber, "Raider" was a popular choice. But Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said the reasoning for the name suggested submitted by a enlisted Maryland National Guardsman particularly caught her eye.
Tech. Sgt. Derek D. White, who described himself as an Air Force history buff, suggested the name to honor the Doolittle Raiders who flew a daring mission against the Japanese mainland in April 1942, just months after the attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II.
On Monday, James honored White, an officer who also suggested the name and the last surviving raider, retired Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, on stage at an Air Force conference at the National Harbor. The airmen's proposals, James said, "captured the essence of the bomber force."
White, who joined the Air Force in 2008, said it was "beyond a cool experience" to be recognized for his idea.
"To think that I'm connected in a very, very distant way to this incredible part of history is unbelievable," he said. "It's so awesome."
The Doolittle Raiders launched their bombers from aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean, a feat that had not previously been attempted. The new bomber — given the designation B-21 — is being designed to be able to launch from the United States and strike a target anywhere in the world.
White said that when he submitted his naming idea last year "it just seemed right."
The Doolittle Raiders' "mission was successful not merely because they put bombs on target, but because they avenged a wounded nation and inspired its people by striking the heart of an unreachable and seemingly invincible foe," White wrote in his submission.
"I believe in the spirit of this new bomber's ability to penetrate the heart of any foe, it should be named after the men who did just that on April 18, 1942. It would be a toast to their legacy."
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