157th Air Refueling Wing The 157th Air Refueling Wing ( 157 ARW ) is a unit of the New Hampshire Air National Guard , stationed at Pease Air National Guard Base , Portsmouth , New Hampshire , United States . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . Overview . Since the September 11 attacks in 2001 , the 157th Air Refueling Wing has been operating 24 hours a day , seven days a week in support of the Global War on Terror . The 157th Air Refueling Wing was recently selected as an Active Associate Wing , which will bring approximately 150 active duty members to its base . Units . The 157th Air Refueling Wing consists of the following major units : The Wing Staff includes the Command Section , Legal Office , Public Affairs , Finance , Safety , Chaplain , Inspector General , Human Resource Advisor , Equal Opportunity , and Family Program . History . On 1 May 1956 the New Hampshire Air National Guard 134th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level , and the 101st Fighter - Interceptor Group from the Vermont Air National Guard was transferred to New Hampshire state control , being re - designated the 101st Fighter Group ( Air Defense ) , and federally recognized by the National Guard Bureau . The 134th FIS becoming the group ' s flying squadron . Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 101st Headquarters , 101st Material Squadron ( Maintenance ) , 101st Combat Support Squadron , and the 101st USAF Dispensary . The 101st Fighter Group ( AD ) was assigned to the Maine ANG 101st Air Defense Wing . Air defense command . The unit assumed the F - 94 Starfire aircraft of the 134th FIS and the air defense mission of New Hampshire . By April 1958 , the 101st counted nearly 700 officers and airmen . It was now re - equipped with 24 F - 86L Sabre Interceptor jets , a dedicated swept - wing interceptor which was capable of being directed to intercept targets by Ground Control Interceptor ( GCI ) radar stations . The rocket - firing aircraft boasted speed , superb maneuverability , and a range . More than a dozen were in place by May . The old F - 94s were shipped to other states for training purposes . Airlift mission . On 1 September 1960 the unit was transferred from ADC to the Military Air Transport Service ( MATS ) . The 134th exchanged its recently acquired Sabres for eight Boeing C - 97 Stratofreighter aircraft . Organizationally , the 101st Fighter Group ( AD ) was transferred to the Maine Air National Guard , the 157th Air Transportation Group being established by the National Guard Bureau as a new unit , replacing the 101st . The lineage and history , however , of the 101st Fighter Group ( AD ) were transferred to the 157th ATS , with the 134th being re - designated as an Air Transportation Squadron . With the transfer of the 101st to Maine , the 157th ATG became one of three groups assigned to the 133d Air Transportation Wing , Minnesota Air National Guard . Completing the organization were the 157th Group Headquarters , the 133d Air Transport Squadron , 157th Air Base Squadron , 157th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron , the 157th USAF Dispensary , and State Headquarters . 1961 Berlin Airlift . On the night of 13 August 1961 , the East German government erected barbed wire barriers around the periphery of West Berlin . Without warning East Berliners had been denied passage rights to the western part of the city by their own soldiers . In response , President John F . Kennedy federalized several Air National Guard units , including the New Hampshire Air National Guard , and the 133d ATS was placed on active duty . Equipped with eight C - 97 aircraft and manned with 675 guardsmen , the unit would stay at Grenier Field during the crisis . But its aircraft and crews ranged throughout the world — touching down at bases in Europe , South America , Alaska , Japan , the Philippines , and Southeast Asia . These missions came in addition to the ongoing ferrying of life - sustaining supplies to West Berlin . The 157th also airlifted elements of the Turkish Army to South Korea and delivered essential communications equipment to South Vietnam . Typical of the C - 97 flights leaving Grenier AFB was one that departed in early November 1961 . Its long itinerary started with a stop at Dover AFB , Delaware , then it was on to Lajes Field , Azores ; Châteauroux - Déols AB , France ; Rhein - Main AB , West Germany ; RAF Mildenhall , England ; Keflavik Airport , Iceland ; Ernest Harmon AFB , Newfoundland , and back to Grenier AFB . This 9 , 000 - plus - mile flight required in excess of 40 hours of flying time and was supported by a crew of eight . In 11 months , the crisis cooled , and on 31 August 1962 the 900 officers and airmen of the 157th Air Transport Group were returned to State control . In late 1965 , at the behest of the Department of Defense and in concert with other Air National Guard and Reserve units , 157th personnel joined in " Operation Christmas Star " , airlifting some 23 , 000 pounds of gifts to United States forces in South Vietnam . It was a presaging of the units active participation in the Vietnam War which would begin in 1966 . With all - volunteer aircrews , the three 133d ATS C - 97s delivered 23 , 000 pounds of cargo , completely collected in New Hampshire , then shipped to Saigon and Da Nang between 26 November and 1 December . After Operation Christmas Star , Air National Guard support missions to South Vietnam increased . Move to Pease AFB . On 1 January 1966 , the Military Air Transport Service was discontinued , being replaced by Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) . With the change of major command designations , the 157th was re - designated as the 157th Military Airlift Group , the 133d as a Military Airlift Squadron . The 157th became part of the 21st Air Force , McGuire AFB , New Jersey . But more dramatic than any previous change , the closure of Grenier AFB meant that the 157th was told to pack up and move to a new home at Pease AFB in Newington . The closure of Grenier AFB had been the result of Air Force - wide downsizing directed by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara . At Pease AFB , the 157th was assigned to buildings on the north side of the base . Like it or not , after 20 years on its own , the 157th was now side by side with Strategic Air Command 509th Bombardment Wing active - duty personnel . At the first drill in February , 1966 , in the confines of its hangar , the entire 700 - man unit received a formal welcome by the 509th . During the ceremony — a reality check of sorts — base representatives explained the installation ' s regulations , proper wear of uniforms , and other military courtesies . As the unit settled into a new home , the 133d Aeromedical Evacuation flight was formed . It was composed of 13 flight nurses and 29 airmen serving as medical aide technicians . Working aboard the C - 97 Stratofreighter planes assigned to the 133d Military Airlift Squadron , New Hampshire medical crews were assigned to assist transporting patients from both Europe and Southeast Asia . Vietnam War . By March 1966 , the 157th began regular logistical support for the burgeoning American forces in South Vietnam . During the next five years , 157th aircrews averaged two flights a month to Tan Son Nhut Air Base , Cam Ranh Air Base , and Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnam , as well as to other USAF - controlled bases in Southeast Asia , transporting air freight and military personnel on globe - circling trips which took Guardsmen away from their homes and jobs for 10 - to 20 - day periods . Each mission from New Hampshire to South Vietnam could become an air marathon of sorts . During one flight , the trip lasted almost 11 days , as the 133d flew from Pease AFB to Dover AFB , Delaware , where cargo was loaded . Next it was on to the West Coast , then Hawaii , Wake Island , Guam , the Philippines , and finally , South Vietnam . To help exhausted combat troops get their R & R , the Air National Guard , including the 157th , flew more than 110 , 000 military personnel throughout the U . S . and overseas . In the 1 , 352 " Combat Leave " missions logged , approximately 38 , 300 military personnel were transported from Southeast Asia to the states and back again . In December 1967 , the 157th again changed aircraft , exchanging its C - 97 Stratofreighters for the larger and slower C - 124C Globemaster II . The C - 124 had been the cargo workhorse of the Air Force since the Korean War . The first of the C - 124s arrived on 9 February 1968 . By late fall , the ninth and last Globemaster touched down and crew transitioning was well underway . By September 1969 the Group had retrained its pilots to the new aircraft and completed its first Operational Readiness Inspection as a C - 124 unit , qualifying to resume global airlift support . The 157th hauled much large " out - size " cargo such as trucks , military vehicles , and missile components . It also carried troops and cargo that didn ' t require the speedy capability of MAC ' s all - jet C - 141 Starlifter and C - 5A Galaxy airlift fleet . Although two and three - day flights within the U . S . were common , the 157th ' s overseas commitment was growing . In 1969 the unit transported more than 1 , 000 tons of cargo and 2 , 000 passengers , its aircrews logging 5 , 236 hours on 44 overseas missions to Vietnam , England , France , West Germany , Greece , Japan , Portugal , Newfoundland , Puerto Rico , and Taiwan . Tactical airlift mission . On 6 April 1971 , the Secretary of the Air Force announced the re - designation of the unit to the 157th Tactical Airlift Group . After 10 years in the airlift business , the unit assumed a new role with its seventh type aircraft — the C - 130A Hercules . The 157th was also transferred to Tactical Air Command ( TAC ) , with a mission to provide mobility and logistical support for ground forces in all types of operations . It was all part of a nationwide program involving one - third of the Air National Guard ' s flying units and inspired by Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird . The C - 130A was the backbone of TAC ' s theater airlift fleet , a medium assault transport with long range ( beyond 2 , 000 miles ) , high speed ( 220 to 300 miles per hour ) , and capable of landing or taking off from a shorter runway than any comparable aircraft . The turbo - prop aircraft with its five - man crew could carry nearly 20 tons of cargo or 92 fully equipped troops , 64 paratroops or 74 litter patients and attendants . On 8 July 1971 the first C - 130A arrived from the 317th Tactical Airlift Wing , Lockbourne AFB , Ohio . About a month later , on 9 August , the first C - 130 flight with all - 157th crew took place . By September heavy Phase I transition training was underway with both aircrew and support personnel at schools throughout the United States . By early 1972 , the 133d Tactical Airlift Squadron began Phase II ( combat readiness ) training , and in April , low - level flying and navigational training missions were being flown day and night along air routes crossing Maine , New Hampshire , and Massachusetts . First drops of paratroopers and cargo began in early May , and in mid - month , the 157th passed a " no notice " Twelfth Air Force Management Effectiveness Inspection ( MEI ) . During the summer of 1973 , the 157th participated in a joint Army , Air Force , and National Guard - Reserve training exercise . The U . S . Readiness Command training , code named Boldfire 1 - 74 , was centered at Camp Joseph T . Robinson , Arkansas . During Boldfire , ground personnel were airlifted aboard the unit ' s C - 130 aircraft to Fort Campbell , Kentucky . They remained there throughout the exercise , maintaining aircraft . 157th C - 130s , in turn , dropped paratroops and equipment in support of ground forces . During this time frame , the unit also had a crew participating in Coronet Shamrock , an Air Force - wide air - drop competition . The 157th TAG crew won the preliminary competition at Ft . Campbell , earning the right to represent the ANG in further competition . The operational honors were dampened somewhat on October 12 when the 133d Aeromedical Evacuation Flight was inactivated . The 133rd AME Flight had been organized and federally recognized on 10 June 1961 . The unit ' s 18 officers and 27 enlisted medical personnel would fill vacancies and augment medical services in the 157th TAC Clinic . The Energy Crisis caught up with the 157th at the end of 1973 , and all flying activity was suspended from 22 December until 7 January 1974 , due to fuel shortages throughout the country . In December 1974 , the Group was transferred back to Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) when TAC ' s theater transport mission were transferred to MAC . Air refueling . Strategic Air Command . On 1 October 1975 the 157th was relieved from Military Airlift Command and transferred to Strategic Air Command ( SAC ) , becoming a KC - 135A Stratotanker unit . By the end of March 1976 , the New Hampshire ANG unit had largely taken over the support of the 509th Bombardment Wing from its active - duty 34th Air Refueling Squadron which was inactivated on 31 March 1976 . By October 1976 , the 157th Air Refueling Group and the 509th Bombardment Wing shared the same mission and response times , giving them a link to the " Total Force Concept " . The 133d deployed to RAF Mildenhall , England , as part of the European Tanker Task Force . Once in the UK , the unit engaged in friendly competition with active duty flyers in " Giant Voice " . The 133d was also the first ANG unit to air refuel the then - experimental B - 1A bomber . A January 1977 inspection rated the 157th SAC ' s first Air National Guard unit to be " fully operationally ready . " It became the second ANG unit in SAC history to stand alert with the Active force . By the end of 1978 , the 157th Air Refueling Group was fully established as one of the " Best " in SAC . During the latter months of 1979 , aircraft from the 157th joined forces with 16 KC - 135A ' s providing air refueling support for " Crested Cap " . This airpower exercise tested the deployment capability of Air Force fighter aircraft moving from the U . S . to Europe in support of NATO war efforts there . The 157th AREFG finished 1979 by winning the " Navigation " Trophy at Giant Voice ' 79 , a four - month competition among SAC , TAC , ADTAC , ANG , AFRES , and RAF - manned bomber and air refueling tankers . The 157th was the first Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve unit to win a trophy in the 31 - year history of the SAC competition . During the 1980s , the 157th continued to participate in Strategic Air Command exercises like Global Shield and Giant Voice . In 1984 , the 133d converted from its aging KC - 135A fleet with new fuel efficient KC - 135Es and the receipt of its first Air Force Outstanding Unit Award . The wing engaged in routine worldwide deployments with its KC - 135s , refueling a 12 - aircraft tanker task force that refueled F - 105 s returning from a deployment in Denmark in August 1981 ' s Operation " Coronet Rudder " . Less than a year later , in February 1982 , 160 personnel were deployed to Andersen AFB , Guam , as part of " Pacific Sentry " . This was the first time 133d KC - 135 tankers had flown 10 , 000 miles in support of a mission , a unit distance record . During its 15 days on Guam , the unit conducted missions to Kadena AB , Okinawa , Diego Garcia , Clark AB , Philippines , Japan , and Australia . Additionally , the 157th CES rebuilt the base fire station on Andersen AFB . The first 157th female pilot , 1st Lt . Ellen G . Hard , began flying the KC - 135E in August 1984 . A resident of Arlington , Massachusetts , Hard was recommended by the NHANG for pilot school at Laughlin AFB , Texas . She had served four years of active duty as a personnel officer at Lackland AFB , Texas , and Hanscom AFB , Massachusetts . Lt . Hard trained on both the KC - 135A and KC - 135E models . Pease AFB closure . In 1989 the first Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended the closure of Pease Air Force Base . As part of the closure process , a Pease Redevelopment Commission ( PRC ) was established to plan the closure and redevelopment of the base . On 1 August 1999 it was resolved that the 157th Air Refueling Group , New Hampshire ANG , would remain at Pease , and the facility would be redeveloped as a civilian airport , among other planned uses by the community . It took only two years for the active component to complete departure activities , including transferring personnel and assets to other military installations . The 509th ' s fleet of FB - 111A bombers departed in phases from June to September 1990 . The 13 KC - 135A tankers assigned to the 509th transferred to Wurtsmith AFB , Michigan ; Plattsburgh AFB , New York ; Eaker AFB , Arkansas ; Carswell AFB , Texas , and Fairchild AFB , Washington . in October 1990 , the personnel of the 509th were reassigned throughout the Air Force . Pease Airport opened for civilian use through an Airfield Joint Use Agreement with the USAF on 19 July 1991 . Base Closure Law directed that the 157th ARG be consolidated into a cantonment area . were identified and retained by the USAF for the Group ' s continued mission . Having shared resources with an active - duty air base since 1966 , the 157th would learn to adapt to providing all necessary functions for itself . Base closure - related projects would eventually include an alert facility , dining hall , base security systems , fuels facilities , communications facility , magazine , and a vehicle maintenance facility . Utility deficiencies were so severe that the program also included the complete replacement of the power and communications distribution system , and also eventually the construction of a heat plant . On 1 April 1991 , Strategic Air Command turned control of Pease Air Force Base over to the Department of Defense , and the active military base was closed . The remaining Air National Guard portion of the now civilian facility was renamed Pease Air National Guard Base . 1990 / 1991 Gulf Crisis . Early on the morning of 7 August 1990 , Operation Desert Shield , a build - up of friendly forces designed to contain the spread of Iraqi aggression , began . A telephone alert asked every crew member of the 133d Air Refueling Squadron to provide maximum availability so that an immediate response capability could be developed . All 125 Operations crew members stepped forward in voluntary support . The unit began functioning on a 24 - hour , seven - days - a - week basis . Forty - two Desert Shield missions would be flown in the month of August as the 133d helped refuel transport aircraft and fighters heading to United States Air Forces Central ( CENTAF ) bases in the Middle East . Forty volunteers were placed on full active duty status for as long as needed . Close to 100 guard members reported during the next few days as seven additional airplanes arrived TDY from Ohio , Pennsylvania , and New Jersey ANG units , together with the 157th ' s own KC - 135E aircraft forming an Air National Guard tanker task force . By 1 October , the 157th ' s heavy support of MAC flights in transit from the West Coast to bases in Saudi Arabia began to slow . The 157th became one of 12 National Guard units tasked with providing refueling support to Air Force units deployed to Saudi Arabia . On 12 October the 157th began deployment of its assets to Saudi Arabia to form the 1709th Air Refueling Wing ( Provisional ) at King Abdul Aziz Air Base , Jeddah . Personnel and aircraft , however , were dispersed at several locations in the Middle East , including Al Banteen Air Base , Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates ; Morón Air Base , Spain ; Cairo West Airport , Egypt ; and other locations . By January 1991 , the build - up of men and material in - theater was complete . Operation Desert Storm , the attack phase of the Allied plan to liberate Kuwait and destroy Iraq ' s army , was ready to begin . With its strategic location on the Atlantic shore , the 157th mission reverted to an " Air - Bridge " mode , refueling transiting aircraft heading across the Atlantic or inbound from RAF Mildenhall , England , which served on the other end of the transatlantic route to the Middle East . After a short 100 hours of ground combat , Iraq ' s elite Republican Guard quickly collapsed , and Kuwait was easily recaptured by Coalition ground forces . Emotional returns punctuated by parades , bands , speeches , tears , and bear - hugs were commonplace in New Hampshire as they were throughout the country . Many deployed units returning from CENTAF bases stopped at Pease AGB on their way to their home bases . The 157th , its aircraft festooned with yellow ribbon s painted above the boom , remained in " air - bridge " mode , supporting the returning traffic . By late April almost everyone had come home safely . There had been no casualties . Air Mobility Command . In July 1991 , 100 Russia n children from the nuclear - contaminated Chernobyl area flew into Pease AGB to begin attending summer camps . The Samantha Smith Foundation flight saw a Soviet Ilyushin Il - 62 , technically a military aircraft , land for the first time at a SAC base . Parked just a few hundred feet away , in an ironic twist , was Air Force One . As if on cue , President George H . W . Bush ordered the end of Alert Missions 1 October , ending a 15 - year base ritual . In May 1992 , with the end of the Cold War , the 157th adopted the Air Force Objective Organization plan , and the unit was re - designated as the 157th Air Refueling Wing . The 133d was assigned to the new 157th Operations Group . A month later , on 1 June , Strategic Air Command was inactivated as part of the Air Force reorganization after the end of the Cold War . It was replaced by Air Combat Command ( ACC ) . In 1993 , ACC transferred its KC - 135 tanker force to the new Air Mobility Command ( AMC ) . By mid - 1993 , the 157th was reorganizing , bringing the 157th in line with current Air Force restructuring guidelines . The 133d ' s 10 KC - 135E - model aircraft were replaced throughout the summer with quieter , more efficient R - models . With their new CFM - 56 engines , a 50 percent decrease in noise resulted , and emissions were reduced 90 percent , while range , fuel off - load capability , and reliability were all increased . By January 1994 all the unit ' s KC - 135 ' s had been converted to R - Models . The unit engaged in routine deployments and training until 1994 when the 157th began operates the Northeast Tanker Task Force together with the Maine Air National Guard . The situation in Bosnia - Herzegovina and " Operation Deny Flight " continued to involve 157th aircraft , crews , and support personnel . In December , 52 unit members deployed with the Niagara Falls 107th Air Refueling Wing to Pisa Airport , Italy . At Pease , " Operation Phoenix Moat " missions required 157th participation to help with the flow of personnel and materiel to the area . The mission in Bosnia was renamed " Joint Endeavor " and , finally , " Decisive Endeavor " , as the crisis cooled . Consolidating assets , the Air Guard left Istres AB , France , and operated exclusively out of Pisa , rotating units through on a month to month basis . The 157th ' s turn came again in October 1996 , as 207 unit members swapped in and out of the Italian air base for the month . By 1997 , the 157th had already been rotating 145 members through Incirlik Air Base , Turkey , as part of " Operation Northern Watch " , enforcing the no - fly zone over northern Iraq . Three months later , in February 1998 , the 157th , augmented by four transient aircraft , flew 28 sorties offloading gas to an air convoy carrying Army personnel and equipment from Georgia to the theater area . In the face of mounting U . S . military might , Saddam Hussein backed down . The year 2000 saw the 157th provide support to Operation Joint Forge as well as other operational and training missions . During Operation Joint Forge , the 157th flew 55 sorties , off - loading over one and one half million pounds of fuel to operational fighters and surveillance aircraft off the coast of the former republic of Yugoslavia . The 157th also provided support to the Clean Hunter 2000 NATO exercise , with a deployment to Karup Air Base , Denmark . The 157th also deployed to fill Expeditionary Combat Support shortfalls for Operation Southern Watch and Operation Northern Watch , NORAD alert in Iceland and Alaska , support of NATO AWCS in Germany and individual rotations to Joint Forge in Istres , France . One such deployment involved 50 personnel in Southwest Asia during the summer , as part of an Air Expeditionary Forces deployment . In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations , DoD recommended to realign March Air Reserve Base , California . The 163d Air Refueling Wing ( ANG ) would distribute its nine KC - 135R aircraft to the 157th Air Refueling Wing ( ANG ) , Pease Air National Guard Station ( three aircraft ) , and several other bases . Military judgment also placed additional force structure at Pease to support the Northeast Tanker Task Force and also robust the squadron to a more effective size of 12 aircraft .