Pease Air National Guard Base

Pease Air National Guard Base is located in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, encompassing land in the city of Portsmouth and the town of Newington. The site originated in the 1930s as the 300-acre Portsmouth Municipal Airport. The United States Air Force assumed control of the facility in 1951 for development as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) installation. Formally opened as Portsmouth Air Force Base on June 30, 1956, it was renamed Pease Air Force Base in September 1957. Between 1956 and 1991, the base hosted the 100th Bombardment Wing and the 509th Bombardment Wing. Aircraft operated during this period included B-47 Stratojet, B-52 Stratofortress, and FB-111 Aardvark bombers, alongside KC-97, KC-135, C-124, and C-130 variants.

The active-duty installation closed on March 31, 1991, following 1988 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission action. While the majority of the property transferred to the Pease Development Authority for civilian tradeport and airport use, a portion was retained for continued military operations as Pease Air National Guard Base.

The base is currently operated by the U.S. Air Force and controlled by the New Hampshire Air National Guard. The 157th Air Refueling Wing (157 ARW) serves as the host unit. In 2009, the 64th Air Refueling Squadron was activated at the installation as an active-duty associate unit to the 157 ARW. The base population consists of approximately 380 full-time military personnel, with periodic surges of up to 950 personnel.

Pease Air National Guard Base occupies approximately 220 acres and contains 46 structures. The 157 ARW operates a fleet of Boeing KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling aircraft, which replaced the KC-135R. Infrastructure includes a Weapons System Trainer, Boom Operator Trainer, and Fuselage Trainer dedicated to the KC-46A. The base shares airfield facilities with the Portsmouth International Airport at Pease.