Unit Overview

New Hampshire Guard Unit Overview

New Hampshire's National Guard community includes more than 2,600 soldiers and airmen involved in hundreds of occupations.  The National Guard has three main components - the Army Guard, the Air Guard, and Joint Force Headquarters.  Each component addresses a distinct national security need while providing unique capabilities in the event of a state emergency.

The New Hampshire Army National Guard

Since the end of World War I, New Hampshire's Army Guard has specialized in artillery operations.  Recently, the Army Guard transitioned from traditional howitzers to the new High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), an advanced mobile artillery system that enables rapid deployment and more accurate targeting.  In addition to the HIMARS system operators, support units for the Fires Brigade include vehicle mechanics, armourers, and communications specialists.

The Army Guard also has a number of additional units that bring unique capabilities to New Hampshire.  These include medical specialists in Manchester, aerial search and rescue units from the Aviation Facility, and construction engineers in Concord.

The New Hampshire Air National Guard

New Hampshire's Air Guard, based at Pease, has been refuelling military aircraft in mid-flight since 1975.  Military aircraft passing across the Atlantic rely on the capabilities of the Air Guard's KC-135R aircraft to reach their destinations.  And since September 11, 2001, the Air Guard has been performing its wartime mission non-stop, providing fuel for flights to the Middle East and Europe and for aircraft guarding the US.

For more information about the units at Pease Air National Guard Base, please visit http://www.157arw.ang.af.mil/units/.

Joint Force Headquarters

Joint Force Headquarters contains a mix of soldiers and airmen that help tie the Guard together.  The complementary nature of the Army Guard and Air Guard allows them to share a numer of tasks.  Joint Force personnel including the Judge Advocate and the State Chaplain, specialized units like the 12th Civil Support Team, and community focused directorates such as Counterdrug combine both Army and Air expertise, allowing units and leaders to better accomplish their missions.

At the heart of Joint Force operations is the Joint Operations Center in Concord.  During state emergencies, leaders from the New Hampshire National Guard coordinate both Army Guard and Air Guard assets, delivering the right capabilities to the right locations as quickly as possible.