AT PEASE, SHAHEEN CONGRATULATES AIR NATIONAL GUARD ON KC-46A TANKER SELECTION
Shaheen recognizes Air National Guard 157th Refueling Wing and Pease Air Force Base as official selection for next-generation tanker
(Portsmouth, NH) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) visited Pease Air Force Base yesterday to take part in a ceremony congratulating the men and women of the Air National Guard 157th Refueling Wing as well as the entire New Hampshire Air National Guard and New Hampshire National Guard on the official selection of Pease as the home for the new KC-46A Pegasus refueling tankers. Shaheen has worked closely with the entire New Hampshire congressional delegation to advocate for the Air Force’s selection of Pease to base the next-generation tankers, which will replace the Eisenhower era KC-135s. Estimates indicate that basing the new aircraft at Pease will create 100 jobs and invest millions in New Hampshire’s economy.
“The selection of Pease Air Force Base as the home for the new KC-46A Pegasus refueling tankers is a tremendous accomplishment and a credit to the men and women of the New Hampshire Air National Guard, the 157th Air Refueling Wing, and the entire New Hampshire National Guard,” Shaheen said. “This demonstrates the continued role New Hampshire plays in our national defense, and I’m confident these new aircraft will improve our military’s aerial refueling capability in the northeast and benefit our local economy for years to come.”
Shaheen has used her position on the Senate Armed Services Committee to advocate for Pease and the 157th Air Refueling Wing to receive the KC-46A refueling tankers. At Shaheen’s urging, the committee version of the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included support for the development of the KC-46A tanker at Pease and she has frequently highlighted Pease’s unique advantages and the impressive record of the New Hampshire Air National Guard’s 157th Air Refueling Wing.
