New Hampshire Air National Guard Airmen Return from Operation Epic Fury Deployment

Airmen from the New Hampshire Air National Guard returned home this past weekend after deploying earlier this year to the Middle East in support of the United States’ military operation against Iran coined “Operation Epic Fury.”

The airmen, assigned to the 157th Air Refueling Wing, deployed in late February to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The unit returned to its home station at Pease Air National Guard Base in Newington, N.H., the New Hampshire National Guard said in a social media post on Sunday.

The 157th Air Refueling Wing and its active-duty associate unit, the 64th Air Refueling Squadron, are based at Pease and support aerial refueling missions as part of the Air Force’s total force.

“As part of the total force, the New Hampshire Air National Guard continues to support operations around the globe,” the New Hampshire National Guard said in the post.

Military.com reached out to the New Hampshire Air National Guard, U.S. Central Command and the Department of Defense for additional information but did not receive responses before publication.

The image accompanying the announcement showed a returning airman kneeling on the flight line and embracing a child, with a tanker aircraft visible in the background.

Operation Epic Fury’s Growing Cost

Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28, when U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes against Iranian targets.

The campaign targeted elements of Iran’s security infrastructure that officials said posed an imminent threat. Initial targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command-and-control facilities, missile and drone launch sites, military airfields and air defense systems, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

Defense officials have said the broader campaign was intended to degrade Iran’s missile, naval and security capabilities.

The conflict has taken a growing toll on U.S. forces. Earlier reporting by Military.com found that the Pentagon added Operation Epic Fury to its official casualty database, listing 365 service members wounded in action and 13 deaths as of April.

Those figures offered one of the clearest pictures yet of the operation’s human cost. Army personnel accounted for the largest share of casualties, though service members from every branch have been affected.

Operation Epic Fury has since ended, but the broader conflict has not fully settled. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in May that the operation had concluded, while U.S. and Iranian officials have continued negotiations aimed at easing tensions in the region—notably reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring that Iran cannot manfuacture nuclear weapons.

The return of the New Hampshire airmen comes as the U.S. military remains positioned across the Middle East, even as diplomats continue efforts to prevent renewed fighting.

Why Tanker Crews Matter

While tanker crews generally operate far from the front lines, aerial refueling remains a critical part of modern air campaigns. Strike aircraft, surveillance platforms and other assets often rely on tankers to remain on station for extended periods.

The deployment placed the New Hampshire airmen inside one of the military’s most demanding operating areas for tanker crews. The CENTCOM region spans thousands of miles, and air operations there often depend on refueling aircraft to keep fighters, bombers, surveillance aircraft and other platforms airborne long enough to reach mission areas and return safely.

Aerial refueling can extend patrols, support long-range strikes, reduce the need for additional forward basing and help move aircraft across the region during a crisis.

The 157th operates the KC-46A Pegasus, the Air Force’s newest aerial refueling aircraft. The aircraft is designed to refuel U.S., allied and coalition aircraft while also carrying passengers, cargo and aeromedical evacuation patients when needed.

Pease Has Become a Key KC-46 Hub

Pease was among the first Air Force bases to transition to the KC-46A Pegasus.

The wing received its first Pegasus tanker in 2019, replacing the aging KC-135 Stratotanker. Since, it has supported training, testing and operational missions tied to the aircraft.

In 2025, officials established a KC-46 Combined Test Force at Pease—a milestone the wing said made the 157th Air Refueling Wing and the Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center central players in developing future capabilities for the platform.

Officials did not disclose how many airmen deployed, how long they spent overseas, or what missions they performed during their time in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

Other Air National Guard units have also supported Operation Epic Fury. Earlier this month, the Maine Air National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing announced that its air transportation specialists had moved more than 747,000 pounds of cargo and 312 passengers since the operation began, illustrating the extensive logistics network supporting the campaign.

The homecoming marks the end of the latest overseas deployment for members of the Pease-based wing, whose airmen support both federal missions abroad and state missions at home through the New Hampshire National Guard.