New Hampshire National Guard - Fall 2009 - Keep Trees

Presidential
landings
With Obama visit,
Wing greets its fourth
commander in chief
By 1st. Lt. Sherri Pierce, 157 ARW-PAO
NEWINGTON – The measured salutes
span two decades.
Since 1991, when the active duty Air
Force left Pease, the N.H. Air Guard has
been the official greeter for the president
of the United States when he visits New
Hampshire on Air Force One.
President Barack Obama’s arrival on
Aug. 11 to tout his health care plan in
nearby Portsmouth marked the fourth
different commander in chief to set foot
on the Pease tarmac since former
President George H.W. Bush was in office.
Presidents Bill Clinton and George W.
Bush made frequent stops during their
terms. Over that span, three different
commanders of the 157th Air Refueling
Wing and three Adjutants General have
personally welcomed them.
In the past five years, the Wing has
supported seven POTUS visits. They are
occasionally accompanied by foreign
heads of state. Several years ago, Russian
President Vladimir Putin arrived at Pease
to join President Bush for a weekend of
talks at the Bush summer retreat in
Kennebunkport, Maine.
Although brief – President Obama’s
visit lasted five minutes, before he
departed for Portsmouth High School in
a pre-staged motorcade – the amount of
preparation takes more than a week.
The key is to “work in concert with
the Secret Service and the White House
to properly and safely host the president
of the United States and continue to do
the missions we are assigned,” said
Col. Richard Martell, commander of the
157th Air Refueling Wing.
Nearly every squadron in the Wing –
from Security Forces, Logistics Readiness,
Air Traffic Control, Maintenance, Civil
Engineering and Public Affairs – is
involved.
“As much work as a POTUS visit is,
we are never at a shortage of volunteers
to come in to work the event, no matter
how long the stay is,” said Maj. Richard
Hamilton, the Wing’s security force
commander. “We have established a
professional and reciprocal relationship
Col. Richard Martell, 157th Air Refueling Wing commander, greets President Barack Obama upon his arrival
at Pease Air National Guard Base on Aug. 11. Photo: Tech Sgt. Aaron Vezeau, 157 ARW-PA
with all of the agencies we work with.
The comments from the Secret Service
consistently identify what a great group
of (members) we have in our unit.”
From mission planning, arranging
transportation, ensuring the base is safe
and secure to mowing the grass, moving
barricades and arranging media – nothing
is overlooked during a POTUS visit.
“We are consistently given feedback
that we have POTUS support down to a
science, since we have done it for so many
years,” said Lt. Col. Rob Burrus of Wing
plans, “but we don’t get complacent,
because it is such a high visibility
event.” ❖
Fall 2009 / New Hampshire National Guard Magazine 13