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Retired B-1B pulled from 309 AMARG
A B-1B Lancer once parked in the Arizona desert is back in the air after an intensive regeneration and depot maintenance effort led by the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker Air Force Base (AFB).
According to the article Tinker brings the B-1 back to the fight by Courtney Landsberger, 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs, the aircraft departed Tinker AFB April 22 following nearly two years of work to return it to combat-capable status after time in Type 2000 storage at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan AFB — commonly known as the “boneyard.”
For Jason “JJ” Justice, a technical analyst with Tinker’s B-1 Systems Program Office, the aircraft’s return marks a rare full-circle moment.
“I’ve been on this jet for 32 years,” Justice said. “To see it come back and still support the warfighter is a great feeling.”
A retired Airman, Justice was part of the team that sent B-1B tail number 86-0115 into storage in 2021. Years later, he helped lead the charge to bring it back.
Behind the massive effort was a workforce that rarely sees the runway.
More than 200 Airmen and civilians from the 567th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron worked extended shifts completing system overhauls and structural repairs, replacing more than 500 components.
Rejoining USAF bomber fleet
Pilots from Tinker AFB’s 10th Flight Test Squadron flew the aircraft in a stripped, bare-metal configuration over Oklahoma, conducting functional check flights to validate systems and performance. Once the aircraft passed these flights and was deemed Fully Mission Capable, it moved to the final phase of the regeneration process: the paint facility.
There, three rotating teams worked around the clock to prepare the aircraft for final delivery.
The regeneration effort comes as the Air Force continues modernizing its bomber fleet while sustaining legacy platforms critical to current operations. It’s a move that highlights the critical role of depot maintenance in extending aircraft service life.
The aircraft has since returned to Dyess AFB, where it rejoined the fleet with a new name and nose art marking its restoration—another aircraft brought back from storage and returned to the fight through a coordinated team effort at Tinker AFB.
The aircraft will serve as the new flagship of the 7th BW.
“Apocalypse II”
As told by Master Sgt. Dana J. Cable, 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs, in the article Regenerated B-1B Lancer dedicated as “Apocalypse II” to honor WWII heroes, during a dedication ceremony on Apr. 22, 2026, tail number 86-0115 was christened “Apocalypse II” in honor of the original B-24J Liberator “Apocalypse” and its crew from the 436th Bombardment Squadron, who were lost when their aircraft was shot down over Burma on Dec. 1, 1942.
The original crew included pilot 2nd Lt. John E. McLauchlen Jr., radio operator Tech. Sgt. Harold L. Seifreid and gunner Staff Sgt. Frank J. Tedone. During a bombing mission targeting the Insein Railroad Yard north of Rangoon, their aircraft was struck by anti-aircraft fire and entered a steep dive. For decades, the men were listed as missing in action. Through recent DNA analysis, McLauchlen was accounted for and interred in July 2024, and Tedone’s remains were identified for burial at Arlington National Cemetery in spring 2025. Seifreid remains memorialized on the Walls of the Missing in the Philippines.
The event served as the latest chapter in an ongoing tribute to the fallen crew, building upon the 2025 dedication of “Apocalypse Hall” by the 436th Training Squadron. Six of Tedone’s relatives were in attendance to witness the nose art reveal. Among them was his nephew, Frank Tedone, whose own service as a former Dyess C-130 maintainer brought his family’s military legacy full circle.
B-1B pulled from 309 AMARG rejoining USAF bomber fleet
The dedication also marked the return of the B-1B to operational service. Previously nicknamed “Rage,” tail 86-0115 was one of 17 B-1Bs retired in 2021 and placed in Type 2000 storage at the 309 AMARG at Davis- Monthan AFB, Arizona. The Air Force later returned the bomber to service to replace another aircraft undergoing extensive structural repairs, a decision made to preserve the congressionally mandated fleet of 45 B-1Bs.
The “Apocalypse II” nose art serves as a lasting reminder of the sacrifices of those who came before and the responsibility carried by today’s Airmen.
Photo credit: Courtney Landsberger and Airman 1st Class William Neal / U.S. Air Force
