Hector Field Air National Guard Base

Hector Field Air National Guard Base is a North Dakota Air National Guard installation located at Hector International Airport in Fargo, North Dakota. The North Dakota Air National Guard was organized at the site on January 16, 1947, and the base became home to the 119th Wing, a unit long known by the nickname "Happy Hooligans." Over the decades the wing flew a succession of fighter aircraft, including the F-51D in its early years, the F-101B, the F-4D Phantom beginning in 1977, and the F-16A starting in April 1990. Today the installation supports an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mission, with the 178th Attack Squadron operating the MQ-9A Reaper. The base shares runways and facilities with the adjacent civilian airport in Cass County.

As at many current and former military airfields, concerns about potential exposure at Hector Field center on a group of compounds linked to firefighting foam used to suppress petroleum fires. The Air Force documented these findings in its Relative Risk Site Evaluation, and a follow-up investigation has been associated with efforts to determine the nature and extent of the contamination and whether any has migrated off the installation.

1. AFFF (aqueous film forming foam) is a firefighting agent the Air Force began using in the 1970s to extinguish fuel fires. At Hector Field, fire equipment and nozzle testing was periodically conducted as part of annual requirements near Building 310, and a fire suppression system installed around 1992 in the main hangar has been identified as a source of the chemicals described below. The foam has been associated with the release of long-lasting fluorinated compounds into soil and groundwater.
2. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a broad family of synthetic chemicals valued for their resistance to heat, water, and oil, which is why they were included in firefighting foams. These compounds are highly persistent in the environment, and research has raised concerns about potential health effects associated with prolonged exposure.
3. PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) is a specific PFAS compound that was a component of legacy AFFF formulations. It was among the substances detected in multiple on-site wells at Hector Field. PFOS has been studied for its tendency to accumulate in the body, and questions about potential health concerns continue to be examined by federal agencies.
4. PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) is another individual PFAS compound detected on the installation, along with the related compound PFBS. PFOA, like PFOS, is environmentally persistent, and its presence in groundwater has been associated with ongoing investigation and monitoring at sites that used AFFF.

Hector Field is not listed on the National Priorities List as a Superfund site. Environmental work at the installation has proceeded under the Department of Defense and Air Force cleanup process. According to base personnel, drinking water is supplied by the City of Fargo and no drinking water wells are located on the base. The site has been characterized as a lower priority for follow-up because heavy clay soils are reported to slow the movement of these compounds, though investigation of the extent of contamination has continued.

Veterans, Guard members, and civilian personnel who served or worked at Hector Field and who have questions about possible exposure are encouraged to stay informed as monitoring continues. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is the appropriate resource for current guidance on health screenings, benefits, and any registries that may apply, and individuals with specific concerns may wish to discuss them with VA representatives and their own health care providers.