Pease Air National Guard Base

Pease Air National Guard Base. It is a United States Air Force installation located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and is home to the New Hampshire Air National Guard's 157th Air Refueling Wing. The base originated as Pease Air Force Base, a major Strategic Air Command Bomber facility during the Cold War. Following the base's closure under the Base Realignment and Closure process in 1991, a portion was retained for military use, evolving into its current role supporting aerial refueling and air mobility missions.

History

The site's military aviation history began with the establishment of Portsmouth Army Air Field during World War II. In 1956, it was renamed Pease Air Force Base in honor of United States Navy Pilot Harland Pease Jr., a Portsmouth, New Hampshire native and posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Throughout the Cold War, Pease was a critical Strategic Air Command installation, hosting Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft. Key units included the 100th Air Refueling Wing and the 509th Bomb Wing, with the latter's lineage tracing back to the 509th Composite Group that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The base was selected for closure by the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, ending its active-duty United States Air Force tenure.

Units and operations

The primary resident unit is the New Hampshire Air National Guard's 157th Air Refueling Wing, which flies the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker. This wing provides global aerial refueling support to United States Air Force, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and allied aircraft. The 157th Air Refueling Wing frequently deploys in support of operations like Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Spartan Shield. Other tenant organizations include the New Hampshire Air National Guard Headquarters, the 1st Battalion, 197th Field Artillery Regiment of the New Hampshire Army National Guard, and a detachment of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations.

Facilities and infrastructure

The military enclave occupies the western portion of the larger Pease International Tradeport, a joint-use civilian-military development. Its operational heart is a single, modern runway (16/34) capable of handling large aircraft like the Boeing C-5 Galaxy and Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. The base features extensive aircraft hangar and maintenance facilities for the KC-135 fleet, modern squadron operations buildings, and a large fuel storage area. It also maintains key support facilities such as the Thomas B. McGuire Base Exchange and critical infrastructure managed by the Air National Guard Readiness Center.

Environmental issues

Like many former Cold War-era bases, the site has undergone significant environmental remediation due to historical use of PCBs, solvents, and jet fuel. The United States Air Force and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services have managed long-term cleanup of groundwater contamination plumes, particularly from former firefighter training areas and aircraft maintenance sites. Ongoing monitoring is conducted under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund) program. These efforts are coordinated with the Pease Development Authority to ensure the safety of the adjacent Pease International Tradeport and the Portsmouth, New Hampshire community.

Future plans

Future development is closely tied to the United States Department of Defense's modernization plans for the KC-135 fleet. The 157th Air Refueling Wing is a candidate to eventually receive the new Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, which would require infrastructure upgrades. The Pease Development Authority and the Air National Guard continue to collaborate on sustaining the joint-use model at Pease International Tradeport. Strategic planning also focuses on enhancing the base's role in Arctic and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) missions, given its northeastern United States location.

Category:Air National Guard bases Category:Military facilities in New Hampshire Category:Portsmouth, New Hampshire