Gov. Maggie Hassan conferred with pilots of a KC-135 air refueling tanker from Pease Air National Guard Base during a training mission July 22 involving the refueling of two F-16s over Vermont.
Hassan, commander in chief of the NH National Guard, is with state leaders and employers that support the NH National Guard during this flight to Fort Drum in New York. State Sens. Sharon Carson and Nancy Stiles are among the passengers.
The KC-135 carrying the governor and crew is 51 years old. Pease will be getting a newer tanker fleet, the KC-46A.
"We have demonstrated," Hassan said in a morning briefing, "We are war-tested, we are ready."
The NH National Guard currently has 139 members deployed overseas, 135 of whom are in Afghanistan. Forty-eight are waiting to be deployed.
Major Gen. William Reddel, adjutant general of the NH National Guard, thanked businesses for supporting the Guard and hiring members.
"What a lot of you are doing is supporting our veterans," he said. "The country sees that."
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
