69 EBS returns to Minot following BTF 25-2 Published March 21, 2025 By 2nd Lt. Casen Salitore The 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron’s Knighthawks redeployed to Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, on March 21, following their month-long Bomber Task Force 25-2 deployment to Royal Air Force Base Fairford, England. The 69th EBS included 224 Airmen and four B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers, and the squadron accumulated hundreds of flight hours during 13 missions across three geographic combatant commands over the course of the deployment. The missions allowed for the squadron’s aircrews, maintainers and support personnel to execute combined military exercises alongside13 Allied and partner nations, to include Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom. “BTF 25-2 has been a tremendous success,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Cangealose, commander of the 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron. “Every single Airman here has proved themselves to be the professional and lethal force that the 69th is known to be. This team accomplished every objective and goal that we came out here for.” The deployed force provided U.S. leaders with options to assure and strengthen operational partnerships between coalition nations. BTF 25-2 is the most recent example of how regular and routine deployment of U.S. strategic bombers provides critical touchpoints to train and operate alongside Allies and partners. “The seamless integration between the 69th and our Allies and partners has been so impressive,” said Cangealose. “What we’ve accomplished is a clear demonstration that our Allied Air Forces are more lethal than ever. “I couldn’t be prouder of the Knighthawks," he continued. "This team and its members are the reason this deployment was a definitive success."