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 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.
Two other facilities in the U.K. — RAF Alconbury and Molesworth — 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.
In all,
the Pentagon expects to save about $500 billion annually from the
consolidations, which have been under review for more than a year.
Other
announced closures and consolidations involve support facilities rather than
major bases.
