Reese Air Force Base

Reese Air Force Base was a U.S. Air Force installation located west of Lubbock, Texas. The site opened in early 1942 as an Army Air Corps advanced flying school and, after a brief postwar closure, was reactivated in 1949 and renamed in honor of 1st Lt. Augustus Frank Reese Jr. For decades its primary mission was pilot training, and the base trained and graduated thousands of Air Force pilots over its operational life. Reese was selected for closure under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process and officially closed on September 30, 1997. The property has since been redeveloped as the Reese Technology Center.

As with many current and former military airfields, concerns about potential exposure at and around Reese center on chemicals associated with past flightline and firefighting operations. After sampling that began in November 2017, the Air Force reported that contaminants linked to those activities had migrated into local groundwater used by nearby residents.

1. AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) is a firefighting foam historically used at military airfields to suppress fuel fires during training and emergency response. AFFF used at Reese has been identified as the source of the fluorinated compounds later detected in area groundwater. Concerns about AFFF relate primarily to the persistent chemicals it contains rather than the foam itself.
2. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large family of synthetic "forever chemicals" valued for their resistance to heat, water, and oil. At Reese, PFAS associated with AFFF were detected above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advisory level in hundreds of private wells around the former base. PFAS exposure has been associated in some studies with a range of health effects, and research into those associations is ongoing.
3. PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) is one of the specific PFAS compounds historically present in older AFFF formulations. It was among the chemicals measured in the affected wells near Reese, where results exceeded the EPA lifetime health advisory of 70 parts per trillion for combined PFOS and PFOA. PFOS has been studied for its potential effects on the immune system, liver, and other functions.
4. PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) is a related fluorinated compound that, together with PFOS, made up the advisory level applied to the Reese-area wells. Like other PFAS, PFOA is highly persistent in the environment and the human body, and it has been associated in some research with potential health concerns. The hedged nature of these associations reflects ongoing scientific review.

Reese Air Force Base is not listed on the National Priorities List as a Superfund site. Environmental work at the former base has been carried out through Air Force and Department of Defense cleanup programs, with oversight involving the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. In response to the well results, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center sampled more than 500 private and community wells, reported that 231 private wells and three public wells exceeded the advisory level, and has provided alternate water by installing whole-house treatment systems using granular activated carbon and ion exchange. The Air Force has also issued public factsheets describing its PFAS findings and response.

Veterans, family members, and others who lived or worked at or near Reese Air Force Base may wish to stay informed as environmental investigations continue and as federal health guidance evolves. Anyone with questions about possible exposure and related health concerns is encouraged to speak with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a personal healthcare provider, who can offer guidance based on individual circumstances.