Pease Air National Guard Base
Encyclopedia
Pease Air National Guard Base is a New Hampshire Air National Guard
base located at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease. Formerly, the base was open as Pease Air Force Base until it was closed in 1991. Before it was closed, it was under the control of the United States Air Force
's Strategic Air Command
. The base occupied land in the city of Portsmouth
and the towns of Newington
and Greenland
, in the Seacoast Region
of New Hampshire
. The facility occupies 4255 acres (1,721.9 ha) in Rockingham County
. It is 55 miles (88.5 km) north of Boston and 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Kittery, Maine
.
Pease is currently home to the New Hampshire Air National Guard
's 157th Air Refueling Wing
(157 ARW), an Air Mobility Command
(AMC) gained Air National Guard
unit currently flying the KC-135R Stratotanker air refueling aircraft. Additionally, it is home to the 64th Air Refueling Squadron
, a United States Air Force
associate unit to the 157th. Pease Air National Guard Base is approximately 220 acres (89 ha) in size and currently includes 40 facilities. The current base population is 380 full-time military personnel with a monthly surge of up to 950 military personnel.
, the U.S. Navy used an airport at the current base location. The U.S. Air Force assumed control in 1951, when the installation was selected for development as a Strategic Air Command
(SAC) base. Purchase of additional land needed for expansion of the base started in 1952 and was completed in 1956. Ground breaking for the new SAC facilities took place in 1954, and the first B-47 Stratojet
bombers arrived in 1956. Now named Portsmouth Air Force Base, the installation formally opened on 30 June 1956. In 1957, the Air Force renamed the facility as Pease Air Force Base in honor of New Hampshire native Captain Harl Pease
, Jr. who posthumously earned the Medal of Honor
for heroism during World War II.
The mission of the base was to maintain a combat-ready force capable of long-range bombardment operations with emphasis on nuclear deterrence and nuclear strike. During its history, Pease AFB was home of the 100th Bombardment Wing
and the 509th Bombardment Wing
, whose mission was to develop and maintain operational capacity to permit the conduct of strategic warfare in the event of war. From 1956 until its closure in 1991, Pease Air Force Base maintained a combat-ready force for long range bombardment and nuclear strike operations. B-47 Stratojet
, B-52 Stratofortress
, and FB-111 bomber aircraft, KC-97 Stratotanker
and KC-135 Stratotanker
air refueling aircraft and C-97 Stratofreighter
, C-124 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules
cargo aircraft, were all based at Pease AFB at varying times.
The 100th Bombardment Wing was later converted to a strategic reconnaissance wing and transferred to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, leaving the 509th Bombardment Wing as the principal host wing for Pease AFB. Arriving at Pease from Walker AFB, New Mexico, in 1958, the 509 BW was the successor to the famed 509th Composite Group of World War II that had executed the nuclear strikes
on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. Having transitioned to the B-47 and KC-97 in the mid-1950s, the 509th was initially phased down for inactivation in 1965. However, cognizant of the historical significance of the 509th in SAC, the wing converted to the B-52D and KC-135A and was redesignated as the 509th Bombardment Wing, Heavy in 1966.
The 509th supported SAC combat and contingency operations in Southeast Asia
with KC–135A aircraft and crews from 1966 to 1975, and with B–52D aircraft and crews from 1966 to 1970. From 1 April to 1 October 1968 and from 26 March to 20 September 1969, more than one-half of the wing was involved in deployed operations in Southeast Asia.
By 1 December 1969, the wing had transferred all its B-52D aircraft to other SAC units in preparation for transition to the FB-111A. Redesignated as the 509th Bombardment Wing, Medium, the 509th had no bomber aircraft from November 1969 until 1970, but continued KC-135 refueling and alert operations and performed FB-111 ground training. The wing resumed flying training with the FB-111 in December 1970 and assumed FB–111 alert commitments from 1 July 1971 until September 1990. During this time, the 509th won the SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition and the Fairchild Trophy in 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1983. The wing was also awarded the Sanders Trophy for best air refueling unit in 1982.
Following the 1988 BRAC
decision to close Pease, the 509th transferred its FB-111 assets to Tactical Air Command
(TAC) and its KC-135 assets to other SAC units. The wing was then administratively moved to Whiteman AFB, Missouri on 30 September 1990, but not manned until April 1993. Following the disestablishment of TAC and SAC, the renamed 509th Bomb Wing
(509 BW) became a unit of the newly-established Air Combat Command
(ACC) on 1 September 1991. After two years of non-operational status, the 509th became operational at Whiteman AFB with delivery of its first operational B-2 Spirit
stealth bomber on 17 December 1993, coinciding with the 49th anniversary of the founding of the original 509th Composite Group.
The New Hampshire Air National Guard
relocated the 157th Military Airlift Group (157 MAG) from the deactivating Grenier AFB in nearby Manchester, New Hampshire
, to Pease AFB in 1966. Operating the C-97 Stratofreighter
, the group transitioned to the C-124 Globemaster in 1968 and to the C-130 Hercules
in 1971. The mission of the group was substantially changed in 1975 when it was designated as the 157th Air Refueling Group (157 ARG) and transitioned to the KC-135A. The 157th later transitioned to the KC-135E and currently flies the KC-135R. With the introduction of the USAF "objective wing" concept into the Air National Guard
in the early 1990s, the 157 ARG was redesignated to its current title as the 157th Air Refueling Wing
(157 ARW).
. In December 1988, Pease AFB was subsequently selected as one of 86 military installations to be closed as part of the Secretary of Defense's Commission on Base Realignment and Closure. In 1989, 3,461 active-duty military, 741 civil service workers and 347 non-appropriated fund employees were employed at Pease AFB. Of the total active duty personnel, 49 were assigned to the Air National Guard. It is estimated that the base created a total of 2,466 secondary jobs within the local communities. Military personnel began leaving the base in June 1990, and Pease AFB officially closed on 31 March 1991.
in 1990.
At sites under Superfund
’s jurisdiction where the source of contamination has been removed but the concentration of contaminants in groundwater exceed the groundwater quality standards, natural processes associated with natural attenuation should restore groundwater quality to acceptable levels in a reasonable time frame. At those Superfund sites where either the source of contamination is undergoing treatment or further migration of the contaminant plume represents a potential threat to human health and the environment, active treatment of contaminated groundwater in a treatment plant is ongoing.
, was transferred to the Pease Development Authority for reuse as a civilian airport and commercial center. Renamed Pease International Tradeport, the airport opened for civilian use in 1991 and became an FAA certified airport under FAR Part 139 in October 1992. The Air Traffic Control Tower is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The airport has all new airfield facilities and pavements including an ILS approach to both runways. Domestic and international terminal supported passenger service was provided by the third iteration of Pan American Airways until that carrier's demise. At present, Pease is served by occasional charter airline flight operations. Pease offers a Foreign Trade Zone with access to the east coast and international trade corridors by land (Interstate 95
), direct air cargo from Pease or by sea via the Port of New Hampshire in Portsmouth
. Air cargo access is available via the airport's main 11300 feet (3,444.2 m) runway. The new international/domestic passenger terminal has Federal Inspection Service including US Customs, agriculture and immigration.
The 64th Air Refueling Squadron
was activated at Pease on October 2, 2009 as part of the 157th's active-guard associate concept. This is the first time that an active duty Air Force unit has returned to Pease since the active Air Force closed the base in 1991.
New Hampshire Air National Guard
The New Hampshire Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is, along with the New Hampshire Army National Guard, an element of the New Hampshire National Guard...
base located at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease. Formerly, the base was open as Pease Air Force Base until it was closed in 1991. Before it was closed, it was under the control of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
. The base occupied land in the city of Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
and the towns of Newington
Newington, New Hampshire
Newington is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 753 at the 2010 census. It is bounded to the west by Great Bay, northwest by Little Bay and northeast by the Piscataqua River. It is home to Portsmouth International Airport at Pease , and to the New...
and Greenland
Greenland, New Hampshire
Greenland is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,549 at the 2010 census. It is drained by the Winnicut River and bounded on the northwest by Great Bay.- History :...
, in the Seacoast Region
Seacoast Region (New Hampshire)
The Seacoast Region is the southeast area of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The region stretches 18 miles along the Atlantic Ocean from New Hampshire's border with Salisbury, Massachusetts to the Piscataqua River and New Hampshire's border with Kittery, Maine. The shoreline is generally very...
of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. The facility occupies 4255 acres (1,721.9 ha) in Rockingham County
Rockingham County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 277,359 people, 104,529 households, and 74,320 families residing in the county. The population density was 399 people per square mile . There were 113,023 housing units at an average density of 163 per square mile...
. It is 55 miles (88.5 km) north of Boston and 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Kittery, Maine
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...
.
Pease is currently home to the New Hampshire Air National Guard
New Hampshire Air National Guard
The New Hampshire Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is, along with the New Hampshire Army National Guard, an element of the New Hampshire National Guard...
's 157th Air Refueling Wing
157th Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 157th Air Refueling Wing is an aerial refueling unit of the New Hampshire Air National Guard located at Pease ANGB, New Hampshire...
(157 ARW), an Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command
Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
(AMC) gained Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
unit currently flying the KC-135R Stratotanker air refueling aircraft. Additionally, it is home to the 64th Air Refueling Squadron
64th Air Refueling Squadron
The 64th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force air-refueling squadron that is part of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing's 22nd Operations Group at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas...
, a United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
associate unit to the 157th. Pease Air National Guard Base is approximately 220 acres (89 ha) in size and currently includes 40 facilities. The current base population is 380 full-time military personnel with a monthly surge of up to 950 military personnel.
History
Pease Air Force Base started its long history as a 300 acres (121.4 ha) municipal airport in the 1930s. With the onset of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the U.S. Navy used an airport at the current base location. The U.S. Air Force assumed control in 1951, when the installation was selected for development as a Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(SAC) base. Purchase of additional land needed for expansion of the base started in 1952 and was completed in 1956. Ground breaking for the new SAC facilities took place in 1954, and the first B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
bombers arrived in 1956. Now named Portsmouth Air Force Base, the installation formally opened on 30 June 1956. In 1957, the Air Force renamed the facility as Pease Air Force Base in honor of New Hampshire native Captain Harl Pease
Harl Pease
Harl Pease, Jr., was a United States Army Air Forces officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest award, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during World War II...
, Jr. who posthumously earned the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for heroism during World War II.
The mission of the base was to maintain a combat-ready force capable of long-range bombardment operations with emphasis on nuclear deterrence and nuclear strike. During its history, Pease AFB was home of the 100th Bombardment Wing
100th Air Refueling Wing
The 100th Air Refueling Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe Third Air Force. It is stationed at RAF Mildenhall, England. It is also the host wing at RAF Mildenhall....
and the 509th Bombardment Wing
509th Bomb Wing
The 509th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command, Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri....
, whose mission was to develop and maintain operational capacity to permit the conduct of strategic warfare in the event of war. From 1956 until its closure in 1991, Pease Air Force Base maintained a combat-ready force for long range bombardment and nuclear strike operations. B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
, B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
, and FB-111 bomber aircraft, KC-97 Stratotanker
KC-97 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...
and KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
air refueling aircraft and C-97 Stratofreighter
C-97 Stratofreighter
The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long range heavy military cargo aircraft based on the B-29 bomber. Design work began in 1942, with the prototype's first flight being on 9 November 1944, and the first production aircraft entered service in 1947. Between 1947 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several...
, C-124 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
cargo aircraft, were all based at Pease AFB at varying times.
The 100th Bombardment Wing was later converted to a strategic reconnaissance wing and transferred to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, leaving the 509th Bombardment Wing as the principal host wing for Pease AFB. Arriving at Pease from Walker AFB, New Mexico, in 1958, the 509 BW was the successor to the famed 509th Composite Group of World War II that had executed the nuclear strikes
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
on Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
and Nagasaki. Having transitioned to the B-47 and KC-97 in the mid-1950s, the 509th was initially phased down for inactivation in 1965. However, cognizant of the historical significance of the 509th in SAC, the wing converted to the B-52D and KC-135A and was redesignated as the 509th Bombardment Wing, Heavy in 1966.
The 509th supported SAC combat and contingency operations in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
with KC–135A aircraft and crews from 1966 to 1975, and with B–52D aircraft and crews from 1966 to 1970. From 1 April to 1 October 1968 and from 26 March to 20 September 1969, more than one-half of the wing was involved in deployed operations in Southeast Asia.
By 1 December 1969, the wing had transferred all its B-52D aircraft to other SAC units in preparation for transition to the FB-111A. Redesignated as the 509th Bombardment Wing, Medium, the 509th had no bomber aircraft from November 1969 until 1970, but continued KC-135 refueling and alert operations and performed FB-111 ground training. The wing resumed flying training with the FB-111 in December 1970 and assumed FB–111 alert commitments from 1 July 1971 until September 1990. During this time, the 509th won the SAC Bombing and Navigation Competition and the Fairchild Trophy in 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1983. The wing was also awarded the Sanders Trophy for best air refueling unit in 1982.
Following the 1988 BRAC
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
decision to close Pease, the 509th transferred its FB-111 assets to Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC) and its KC-135 assets to other SAC units. The wing was then administratively moved to Whiteman AFB, Missouri on 30 September 1990, but not manned until April 1993. Following the disestablishment of TAC and SAC, the renamed 509th Bomb Wing
509th Bomb Wing
The 509th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command, Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri....
(509 BW) became a unit of the newly-established Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(ACC) on 1 September 1991. After two years of non-operational status, the 509th became operational at Whiteman AFB with delivery of its first operational B-2 Spirit
B-2 Spirit
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is an American heavy bomber with low observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to eighty -class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen ...
stealth bomber on 17 December 1993, coinciding with the 49th anniversary of the founding of the original 509th Composite Group.
The New Hampshire Air National Guard
New Hampshire Air National Guard
The New Hampshire Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is, along with the New Hampshire Army National Guard, an element of the New Hampshire National Guard...
relocated the 157th Military Airlift Group (157 MAG) from the deactivating Grenier AFB in nearby Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, to Pease AFB in 1966. Operating the C-97 Stratofreighter
C-97 Stratofreighter
The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long range heavy military cargo aircraft based on the B-29 bomber. Design work began in 1942, with the prototype's first flight being on 9 November 1944, and the first production aircraft entered service in 1947. Between 1947 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several...
, the group transitioned to the C-124 Globemaster in 1968 and to the C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
in 1971. The mission of the group was substantially changed in 1975 when it was designated as the 157th Air Refueling Group (157 ARG) and transitioned to the KC-135A. The 157th later transitioned to the KC-135E and currently flies the KC-135R. With the introduction of the USAF "objective wing" concept into the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
in the early 1990s, the 157 ARG was redesignated to its current title as the 157th Air Refueling Wing
157th Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 157th Air Refueling Wing is an aerial refueling unit of the New Hampshire Air National Guard located at Pease ANGB, New Hampshire...
(157 ARW).
Base closure
Pease Air Force Base was the first major installation recommended to be closed by the 1988 Commission on Base Closure and RealignmentBase Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
. In December 1988, Pease AFB was subsequently selected as one of 86 military installations to be closed as part of the Secretary of Defense's Commission on Base Realignment and Closure. In 1989, 3,461 active-duty military, 741 civil service workers and 347 non-appropriated fund employees were employed at Pease AFB. Of the total active duty personnel, 49 were assigned to the Air National Guard. It is estimated that the base created a total of 2,466 secondary jobs within the local communities. Military personnel began leaving the base in June 1990, and Pease AFB officially closed on 31 March 1991.
Environmental issues
Under the Air Force's Installation Restoration Program, environmental investigations began in 1983. Activities at Pease AFB in support of aircraft maintenance operations generated listed hazardous and potentially listed and/or characteristic hazardous waste, including spent degreasers, solvents, paint strippers, contaminated jet fuels, and perhaps minor quantities of other potentially hazardous waste. Due to environmental contamination of soils and groundwater, Pease AFB was placed on the National Priorities ListNational Priorities List
The National Priorities List is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for long-term remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program. Environmental Protection Agency regulations outline a formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites and placing them on...
in 1990.
At sites under Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
’s jurisdiction where the source of contamination has been removed but the concentration of contaminants in groundwater exceed the groundwater quality standards, natural processes associated with natural attenuation should restore groundwater quality to acceptable levels in a reasonable time frame. At those Superfund sites where either the source of contamination is undergoing treatment or further migration of the contaminant plume represents a potential threat to human health and the environment, active treatment of contaminated groundwater in a treatment plant is ongoing.
Pease Development Authority
The bulk of the Pease AFB, other than that property retained by the Air National GuardAir National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
, was transferred to the Pease Development Authority for reuse as a civilian airport and commercial center. Renamed Pease International Tradeport, the airport opened for civilian use in 1991 and became an FAA certified airport under FAR Part 139 in October 1992. The Air Traffic Control Tower is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The airport has all new airfield facilities and pavements including an ILS approach to both runways. Domestic and international terminal supported passenger service was provided by the third iteration of Pan American Airways until that carrier's demise. At present, Pease is served by occasional charter airline flight operations. Pease offers a Foreign Trade Zone with access to the east coast and international trade corridors by land (Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in New Hampshire
Interstate 95, the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, cuts through the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire. The majority of it, from the Massachusetts border to the Portsmouth Circle in Portsmouth, is the 14.29-mile Blue Star Turnpike or New Hampshire Turnpike, a toll...
), direct air cargo from Pease or by sea via the Port of New Hampshire in Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
. Air cargo access is available via the airport's main 11300 feet (3,444.2 m) runway. The new international/domestic passenger terminal has Federal Inspection Service including US Customs, agriculture and immigration.
The 64th Air Refueling Squadron
64th Air Refueling Squadron
The 64th Air Refueling Squadron is a United States Air Force air-refueling squadron that is part of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing's 22nd Operations Group at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas...
was activated at Pease on October 2, 2009 as part of the 157th's active-guard associate concept. This is the first time that an active duty Air Force unit has returned to Pease since the active Air Force closed the base in 1991.
External links
- George Adams, former Sgt 509 FMS, Pease AFB (1987–1990)
- http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/nar1211.htm
- Jim Rusch, CMSgt USAF (Ret), 509 MMS, Pease AFB (1981–1989)