Sweeping changes coming in Europe - what are your thoughts on the proposals?

STUTTGART, Germany — A major U.S. Air Force base in the United Kingdom and 14 other installations scattered across Europe will close as part of a sweeping reorganization of forces on the Continent, the Pentagon announced.

Operations at RAF Mildenhall — home to Air Force special operations forces, air refueling tankers and 3,200 military personnel — will end, and missions carried out there will be moved to other locations such as Germany. RAF Alconbury and Molesworth, two other facilities in the U.K., also will close as part of a consolidation effort. Most of the missions there will be moved to RAF Croughton.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon plans to station two squadrons of F-35s at RAF Lakenheath by 2020, which ensures the continuous presence of U.S. air power in the country.

As a result of the moves, there will be a slight reduction in overall force levels. However, Germany and Italy are expected to gain troops through the Pentagon’s moves.

It is expected to take several years for all of the Pentagon’s basing decisions to be implemented.

In all, the Pentagon expects to save about $500 million annually from the consolidations, which have been under review for more than a year.

The European Infrastructure Consolidation review and F-35 basing decisions will result in a decrease of about 2,000 U.S. military and civilian personnel in the U.K. over the next several years, according to the Pentagon. The removal of 3,200 people from Mildenhall will be offset by the addition of 1,200 personnel at Lakenheath, who will be added to support new missions like the arrival of the F-35 fighters, according to the Pentagon.

In the case of the Army, most of the announced consolidations target small outposts and support infrastructure rather than key operational hubs.

For the past decade, the U.S. Army in Europe has been steadily drawing down and consolidating its network of garrisons around Europe.

In 2012 for example, USAREUR was the main focus of a downsizing on the Continent when it announced it would inactivate two brigades and close garrisons in Bamberg and Schweinfurt in Germany.

Officials at USAREUR have said their force and basing structure, after years of transformation, are about where they need to be.

The pending closure of Mildenhall, however is the first major Air Force base elimination in Europe in years.

In Germany, various troops movements will result in an increase of several hundred U.S. military personnel, the Pentagon stated. Germany will receive Mildenhall’s KC-135s and the 352nd Special Operations Group, which includes a fleet of CV-22 Ospreys. The move will put the tilt-rotor aircraft, favored by special operations troops, closer to troops assigned to Stuttgart-based Special Operations Command Europe and Africa.

Mildenhall’s RC-135s will remain in the U.K, however.

In Italy, the Pentagon said it would add about 200 military positions once the 606th Air Control Squadron relocates from Spangdahlem, Germany.

In Portugal, efforts to reduce the mission at Lajes Field will continue with the reduction of 500 military and civilian personnel assigned there and the returning of some infrastructure to Portuguese authorities, according to the Pentagon.

The consolidations come as the U.S. and its allies in Europe attempt to bolster their presence in eastern Europe as part of an effort to reassure allies and deter Russian aggression in the region.

Plans to increase troop rotations throughout the region will continue, according to the Pentagon. The already approved $1 billion European Reassurance Initiative aims to boost the U.S.’ rotational presence in Europe for a range of training and exercises with NATO partners, as well as support infrastructure improvement projects that will help efforts in eastern Europe.


While moves such as the closure of Mildenhall will alter how the military executes some of its missions, other measures will have an effect on more mundane day-to-day matters.

For example, commissary’s at three posts in the Stuttgart military community — EUCOM’s Patch Barracks, Africa Command’s Kelly Barracks and the housing community at Robinson Barracks — all will eventually close. In their place will be an upgraded commissary on Panzer Kaserne, home to the garrison headquarters. Commissaries at Illesheim and Sembach also will close.

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List of planned changes in Europe:

United Kingdom
Divest RAF Mildenhall:
• Returns the installation and four supported sites to the United Kingdom.
• DOD intends to relocate the operational units at RAF Mildenhall within Europe — the assigned KC-135s and the 352nd Special Operations Group to Germany and the assigned RC-135s within the U.K. This paves the way for the stationing of two squadrons of F-35s at RAF Lakenheath, starting in 2020.
• Divest RAF Alconbury/RAF Molesworth: Consolidation of missions allows the permanent return of RAF Alconbury, RAF Molesworth and supporting sites to the United Kingdom. The majority of U.S. personnel, and many of the U.S.-funded host nation positions assigned to these bases will be transferred to RAF Croughton.


Germany
• Close Mainz-Kastel Station — fully returns the site to Germany.
• Close Barton Barracks — fully returns the site to Germany and relocates the Department of Defense Dependents Schools Bavaria district office to Grafenwöhr.
• Partially close Pulaski Barracks in the Kaiserslautem area — returns part of the site to Germany.
• Close Weilimdorf warehouse site — returns the site to German control.
• Close two Baumholder waterworks — returns control to Germany.
• Relocate HQs DISA-Europe from Stuttgart to Kaiserslautem.
• Close Amelia Earhart Hotel in Wiesbaden.
• Partially close Artillery Kaserne in Garmisch — returns two-thirds of the site to Germany.
• Restructure the Army Air Force Exchange Services bakery and water distribution operations at Grünstadt.
• Close Husterhöh Kaserne in Pirmasens — returns the site to Germany.
• Relocate mail sorting/distribution from German Aerial Mail Terminal in Frankfurt to Germersheim Army Depot — efficiencies and personnel moves only.
• Create a distribution center of excellence at Germersheim Army Depot.
• Consolidate various communication data centers across EUCOM.
• Close commissaries at Illesheim and Sembach, as well as the four commissaries in Stuttgart at Kelley Barracks, Patch Barracks, Panzer Barracks and Robinson Barracks, once a new replacement store on Panzer is constructed.
• Consolidate Defense Media Activity operations across Europe.
• Consolidate communications, postal services and personnel management that support the U.S. mission to NATO and the U.S. military delegation to the NATO military committee.

Belgium
• Divest leased site in Brussels — Consolidation of U.S. facilities in Brussels to Sterrebeek.

The Netherlands
• Divest Schinnen Emma Mine leased site, Netherlands and consolidate U.S. facilities at Brunssum.

Italy
• Place a portion of the Pisa Ammo Storage Area, near Livorno, into caretaker status.
Partially close Camp Darby near Livorno. Returns about half of the installation to Italy.
Convert the Vicenza Health Center to outpatient and specialty care only.

Portugal
• Streamline operations and property at Lajes Field — Reduces active duty, civilian personnel and contract providers by two-thirds. A number of the buildings at Lajes will also be returned to Portugal.

—Source: Department of Defense

http://www.stripes.com/news/europe/raf-mildenhall-to-close-amid-other-europe-consolidations-1.322825