The MOAB hails from Florida, and these folks are proud of it

The Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb — known colloquially as the MOAB, or "Mother of All Bombs" — was born and raised at Eglin Air Force Base.

On April 6, the enormous weapon was used for the first time in combat, dropped in Afghanistan by an MC-130 from the Air Force Special Operations Command headquartered at Hurlburt Field. While the Air Force would not confirm if the aircraft was connected to Hurlburt, the bomb's local roots run deep.

On March 11, 2003, the Air Research Laboratory at Eglin performed the first test detonation of a 21,000-pound MOAB over Range B-70 north of Wynnhaven Beach, Florida. Residents reported feeling shock waves and hearing loud noises miles away from the drop site.

"My dog shook for 15 minutes," Santa Rosa County resident Stephanie McBride told the Daily News at the time. "The house, a little bit."

With tensions with Iraq at a fever pitch (the United States would invade that country just nine days later) the military-friendly Emerald Coast embraced the concept — and the name — of the nation's largest non-nuclear bomb.

The day of the blast, Nancy Benaquis and Greg Haymore at MannaTee's Castle in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.,  designed a MOAB T-shirt complete with a mushroom cloud and the words, "We tested the big one!" At $9.98 each, the shirts sold briskly.

"We sold one to a man who told us he worked on the bomb," Haymore told the Daily News in May 2003.

In 2005, local chef Chris Shrunk created a different kind of MOAB — the "Mother of All Burgers" — and in 2011 local gamers were excited to see the MOAB featured in that year's version of the "Call of Duty" video game.

Eglin's Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate developed the massive bomb in less than three months. The Prototype Munition Fabrication Facility produced the precision guided munitions, and the base's 46th Test Wing tested them.

"What makes Eglin particularly valuable is that it can do research, development, and testing all in one place," local economist David Goetsch said. "The base was able to turn around that bomb in a very short time frame because they had all three capabilities."

On May 20, 2004, the 14th (and final) MOAB to be produced was put on display at the Air Force Armament Museum. On April 13, mere hours after the bomb detonated, visitors to the museum gathered around the exhibit to take photos and selfies in front of the famous weapon.

"Bombs, and the scientists and researchers who produce them, are an important part of our community's economy," Goetsch added. "Air Force leaders have a bias toward aircraft, but they're just fancy airliners if they don't have weapons."

"At Eglin, we make weapons."

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz weighed in on April 13 on the decision to use the MOAB.

"President Trump's decision to drop the GBU-43 shows his deep commitment to eradicating ISIS worldwide," said Gaetz, whose congressional district includes Eglin.

"This message was part of his campaign, and eliminating ISIS is critical to the long-term security of the United States. The president's actions also send a clear message that we will no longer tolerate attacks on our troops — and that those who do so can expect a swift and strong response."

"As Northwest Floridians, we are proud to train the most lethal warfighters and to test the most advanced weaponry in the world," Gaetz added. "The president's decision highlights our military's need for expanded testing facilities — in particular, the Gulf Test Range south of Eglin Air Force Base."