Des Moines Air National Guard Base

Des Moines Air National Guard Base is an Iowa Air National Guard installation located at Des Moines International Airport in Des Moines, Iowa. It is home to the 132nd Wing, a unit that traces its lineage to the 124th Observation Squadron formed in 1941. The 132nd Fighter Group was organized and federally recognized in 1950 and was later redesignated as the 132nd Fighter Wing. For more than six decades the wing flew manned fighter aircraft, including F-84 and F-100 jets, A-7D Corsair II attack aircraft, and the F-16 Fighting Falcon, with the last F-16 flights occurring in 2013. Following that transition, the wing took on a remotely piloted aircraft role operating the MQ-9 Reaper along with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The base sits within the Des Moines metropolitan area, near waterways that drain toward local drinking water supplies.

As with many airfields where firefighting foam was used for decades, the base has become associated with concerns about potential exposure to a group of persistent chemicals. State and federal investigations have focused on contamination of groundwater and surface water at and around the installation.

1. AFFF: Aqueous film forming foam, or AFFF, is a firefighting foam historically used to suppress fuel fires at airfields. At the Des Moines base it is regarded as the most likely source of the chemical contamination identified by investigators, and its past use in training and emergency response has been linked to the residues later found in groundwater and a nearby creek.
2. PFAS: Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are a large family of synthetic compounds that resist breaking down in the environment and are sometimes called forever chemicals. PFAS associated with AFFF were detected in groundwater at the base at concentrations reported as nearly 200 times the federal health advisory level, and sampling found these compounds in stormwater leaving the site. PFAS exposure has been associated in some studies with a range of health concerns, though findings continue to be studied.
3. PFOS: Perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, is one of the individual PFAS compounds commonly found in older firefighting foams. It was among the substances of concern in the testing conducted around the Des Moines installation, where investigators traced contamination from the base toward Frink Creek. Researchers have examined possible associations between PFOS and certain health effects.
4. PFOA: Perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, is another well studied PFAS compound historically present in industrial products and firefighting materials. It has been included among the chemicals evaluated in connection with the contamination identified at the base. Potential health concerns related to PFOA remain the subject of ongoing scientific review.

The base is not listed on the National Priorities List as a federal Superfund site. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources sampled the site and identified PFAS in the stormwater outfall, and the contamination has been investigated under Department of Defense and Air Force PFAS assessment efforts alongside state oversight. Des Moines Water Works has reported evidence that affected water drains down Frink Creek toward the Raccoon River, a major source of regional drinking water, while noting that concentrations measured in finished tap water were below the EPA advisory level in effect at the time of testing.

Veterans, civilian personnel, and family members who served or worked at Des Moines Air National Guard Base and have questions about potential exposure are encouraged to stay informed as monitoring and cleanup activities continue. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers information on benefits and health resources, and individuals with specific concerns may wish to speak with the VA or a qualified medical professional.