Bangor Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard facility situated on the grounds of Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine. Originally established as the commercial Godfrey Field in 1927, the airfield was acquired by the U.S. Army prior to World War II, being renamed Bangor Army Air Field and subsequently Dow Field. In 1948, it transitioned to Dow Air Force Base under the newly formed U.S. Air Force. During World War II, it served as a crucial point for preparing and maintaining Lend-Lease aircraft for transport to Britain and later as a servicing hub for heavy bombers flying the North Atlantic air ferry route. Post-war, it hosted Air Defense Command units, including the 14th Fighter Group, and underwent significant expansion in the early 1950s. Strategic Air Command took over jurisdiction in 1952, stationing units like the 506th Strategic Fighter Wing and later the 4038th Strategic Wing, which operated B-52Gs and KC-135s. Dow Air Force Base was closed in 1968 as part of a nationwide reduction in military installations. The majority of the base was transferred to the city of Bangor, reopening as Bangor International Airport in 1969. The Maine Air National Guard, which had been present since 1947, retained a portion of the facility, forming the current Bangor Air National Guard Base. The base is currently operational and is home to the 101st Air Refueling Wing, which operates KC-135R Stratotankers. This unit is operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command. The base shares its runway with the civilian airport facilities.