DOOM 34: A Firsthand Account of the Top-Secret Mission that Launched Operation Desert Storm

Before stealth bombers flew from Missouri to Tehran and back, battle-worn B-52s pushed crews and machines to the brink in a history-making, out-and-back combat strike. It set the gold standard for global reach—and forever changed the face of modern warfare.

DOOM 34 is the first behind-the-scenes insider’s recounting of a high-stakes mission that changed the course of modern combat. It combines the fast-paced, breath­less development of a highly classified, innovative weapon with the selection and training of untested aviators who executed this top-secret Black Ops mission in the run-up to Operation Desert Storm. This mission pushed the limits of human endurance and mechanical design.

Code-named “Senior Surprise” and nicknamed “Secret Squirrel,” the mission selected fifty-seven airmen (only one of whom had any combat experience) to fly seven B-52s that were well past their prime on a thirty-five-hour, nonstop flight that was plagued with unforeseen complications from the moment of takeoff.

Trey Morriss was the electronic warfare officer on the fourth B-52—DOOM 34—and, along with his seven crewmen, had a front-row seat to what went down.