USAF to leave Mildenhall,Alconbury,and Molesworth

[Patchcollector]

Hi all,

Wow.I was surprised to see this news:

 

The U.S. Air Force is shutting down operations at three Royal Air Force bases in England as part of an effort to downsize infrastructure across the European theater, the Defense Department announced Thursday.

 

Forces from RAF Mildenhall — which provides aerial refueling to U.S. and allied aircraft over three continents and is also home to the 352nd Special Operations Group — will relocate to bases in Germany, as well as RAF Lakenheath, the Defense Department said. The base has 3,900 personnel.

In addition to Mildenhall, USAF operations at RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth will close and move to RAF Croughton.

The closures as well as 14 other installation consolidations come as a result of the European Infrastructure Consolidation review, which will save $500 million annually, according to a Defense Department release.

Mildenhall will move 15 KC-135 aircraft and approximately 700 associated personnel to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Capt. Sybil Taunton, spokeswoman for U.S. Air Forces in Europe, said in an email to Air Force Times.

 

The 352nd Special Operations Group, including CV-22 and MC-130 aircraft and associated personnel, will move to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Taunton said.

"The U.K. remains an essential location for forward-based and ready forces," Gen. Frank Gorenc, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander, said in a release. "Our close relationship with the U.K. government and integrated missions with U.K. forces remain integral to USAFE's ability to execute successful missions in support of our NATO Allies."

Headquarters USAFE-UK will move from Mildenhall to Lakenheath, and divesting 3,200 people from Mildenhall will be offset by the addition of 1,200 personnel at Lakenheath, the release said.

The divestment is also projected to eliminate approximately 1,300 military, civilian and local national positions, USAFE said.

 

Roughly 2,600 personnel are projected to be relocated as a result of the consolidations.

The Air Force estimates it will save $125 million annually, primarily in infrastructure maintenance costs and facility upgrades, USAFE said.

 

The Defense Department aims to realign missions from the consolidation within seven years.

 

Here is a link to the site where I found the info:

 

http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2015/01/08/raf-mildenhall-to-close-assets-move-to-germany/21437095/

[glenm]

This was actually from January 2015 - is it still going ahead?

[Teamski]

Yeah, this is kinda old news. I was stunned to see Mildenhall close. After being stationed there for 7 years with the 352nd, It tears my soul to see it close. Going to work everyday and seeing the WWII Fairmile C hangers across the runway always put a smile on my face. Knowing that I was walking on a flighline that once had Stirlings, Wellingtons and Lancasters trumbling by made me literally giggle like a little girl. That is a hell of a lot of history for this WWII airplane buff in me to take!

 

-Ski

[Patchcollector]

This was actually from January 2015 - is it still going ahead?

 

Yes you are correct,I did'nt check the date on the article. It is still news to me as I had'nt seen it originally.I've spent some time at Mildenhall and Lakenheath and they are both great bases situated in a nice section of England.As Ski stated,lot's of history for Af types to take in.

[Gregory]

Will it be more effective against Mr Putler's air provocations over Europe?

[Teamski]

The sad thing is that $125m saved annually comes to roughly one half the value of a single F-35......

 

-Ski

[Mark_E]

Here's a photo of Molesworth from the early 1960's.  My dad was stationed at Alconbury '68-72, and I went to school at Molesworth, grades 7-10. The school buildings are in the upper quarter of the photo, maybe at 1:00.  During the war years the buildings were among other things, the bowling alley, theater, gym, Officer's and NCO clubs.  I have fond memories of exploring the airfield and bunkers.  Some buildings still had huge maps on the briefing room walls.  In my time, other than the housing area, school and a hanger where you could buy surplus equipment like desks, tents, web-gear items, C-rations (which still had 4-packs of cigarettes), etc, I'm not sure what else went on there (no flight operations for certain).  Its well documented that the the base became a cruise missile base, then later some sort of intelligence gathering HQ site. I tried to get on base in 1984 when I was on leave stationed in Germany, but was turned away at the gate even though I had proper military ID and orders.  Lots of local civilian protests at that time because of the cruise missiles.

 

Alconbury hosted RF4-C Phantoms at that time and later the base flew TR-1 Recon aircraft.  I understand that it now is like a trans-modal shipping site with various businesses operating in the old hangers like an "industrial park" here in the States.

[The Rooster]

If you google earth the site, its unrecognizable from the photo you posted.

You can go back to an aerial view from 1945,

[Marshallj]

On 12/20/2020 at 11:22 AM, Mark_E said:

Here's a photo of Molesworth from the early 1960's.  My dad was stationed at Alconbury '68-72, and I went to school at Molesworth, grades 7-10. The school buildings are in the upper quarter of the photo, maybe at 1:00.  During the war years the buildings were among other things, the bowling alley, theater, gym, Officer's and NCO clubs.  I have fond memories of exploring the airfield and bunkers.  Some buildings still had huge maps on the briefing room walls.  In my time, other than the housing area, school and a hanger where you could buy surplus equipment like desks, tents, web-gear items, C-rations (which still had 4-packs of cigarettes), etc, I'm not sure what else went on there (no flight operations for certain).  Its well documented that the the base became a cruise missile base, then later some sort of intelligence gathering HQ site. I tried to get on base in 1984 when I was on leave stationed in Germany, but was turned away at the gate even though I had proper military ID and orders.  Lots of local civilian protests at that time because of the cruise missiles.

 

Alconbury hosted RF4-C Phantoms at that time and later the base flew TR-1 Recon aircraft.  I understand that it now is like a trans-modal shipping site with various businesses operating in the old hangers like an "industrial park" here in the States.

I was stationed at Alconbury mid 1970’s assigned to base police. One of our duties was to drive to both Molesworth and Chelveston. I do remember the hangar full of maps at Molesworth. Hardly anything left of Chelveston. We had to leave our weapon with the desk before heading off base. Alconbury had F4 and F5 aircraft. 

 

[Scott C.]

The 2023 edition of the Air and Space Forces Almanac still lists the 752 SOG and 100 ARW at Mildenhall, the 48 FW at Lakenheath, and 501 CSW at Alconbury.  The Almanac's map of "Major Overseas Air Force Operating Locations" also includes Molesworth, Menwith Hill, Croughton, Fairford and Welrford.