Ayotte Continues Advocacy for Pease to Receive KC-46A

Press Release

At a hearing Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) continued her long-standing advocacy for Pease and the 157th Air Refueling Wing to receive the next generation KC-46A tanker.

During questioning of Miranda Ballentine, the nominee to be the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy, Senator Ayotte highlighted the Air Force's selection of Pease and expressed an eagerness to work with the Air Force to make the stationing of the KC-46A there a reality.

After the hearing, Ayotte said, "We are so proud of Pease and the men and women of the 157th Air Refueling Wing. Their professionalism and performance have made Pease the obvious choice to serve as the first Air National Guard base to receive the KC-46A."

Last year, Ayotte and fellow delegation members announced that the Air Force had selected Pease as the top Air National Guard base to receive the KC-46A tanker, pending a successful outcome of an environmental impact study. A formal announcement from the Air Force is expected this summer.

Since 2011, Ayotte has worked with delegation members to advocate for Pease to receive the tanker. In May, members of the New Hampshire congressional delegation hosted Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James at Pease for a facility tour and meetings with members of the 157th Air Refueling Wing.

The president's Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 budget request calls for $41.9 million in military construction dollars for Pease Air National Guard base to prepare for KC-46A operations. In May, the Readiness subcommittee, which Ayotte helps lead and which oversees military construction, authorized $41.9 million for facilities construction at Pease Air National Guard base in preparation for receiving the KC-46A tanker.

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