United Kingdom

Alconbury Croughton Fairford Lakenheath Mildenhall Fast Facts Time and Mileage Charts Telephone Directory

Alconbury, Molesworth and Upwood

RAF Molesworth is 14 miles west of RAF Alconbury and 11 miles northwest of Huntingdon. RAF Alconbury is three miles northeast of Huntingdon and RAF Upwood is about 14 miles from RAF Alconbury. RAF Alconbury began as a satellite base for RAF Upwood in 1938. Various American air units were tenants over the next five years. RAF Molesworth was established as a bomber base for the Royal Air Force and was first occupied by the Royal Australian Air Force. The airfield was extended in 1942 to accommodate U.S. heavy bombers and the first American unit arrived in July. The base was closed down in 1946 but reopened in 1951 for U.S. Air Force use. Huntingdon is less than an hour from London by train and a 30-minute drive from Cambridge and the cathedral cities of Peterborough and Ely. Essentially rural in character, Huntingdonshire is very pretty and picturesque and an ideal location for walkers.

SERVICES AND FACILITIES

• Sports and Recreation. The Fitness and Sports Center at Alconbury has saunas, equipment checkout, four racquetball courts, two softball fields, four tennis courts, basketball court, shower rooms, free weight room, quarter-mile jogging track, football field, volleyball court and nautilus weight room. Sports offered include intramural basketball, golf, flag football, slow-pitch softball, volleyball, racquetball, badminton, tennis and soccer, plus varsity soccer, softball, volleyball and basketball.

• The Outdoor Recreation Center's services include canoeing, cycling, windsurfing, scuba diving, walking and rappelling. The Alconbury facility also offers skiing trips, continental cycling trips, horse riding tours, whitewater rafting trips, camping trips and golf tickets. The center also has a retail shop. The Bowling Center at Alconbury has 12 fully automatic bowling lanes, a fully stocked pro shop, birthday party specials, video gameroom, slots room and league bowling.

• The Education Center at Alconbury offers associate and bachelor's programs in a number of areas. Students can commute to RAFs Lakenheath/Mildenhall or take computer-based distance education courses in order to complete most bachelor degree programs.

• DoDDS Schools. RAF Alconbury Elementary School offers classes K through 6, including special education, reading improvement, talented and gifted program, and compensatory education and reading recovery. RAF Alconbury High School offers grades 7-12.

• Medical and Dental. Standard medical care is available at Upwood, but medical cases may be referred to RAF Lakenheath (approximately 48 miles east of RAF Alconbury) for care that is unavailable. An optometrist from RAF Lakenheath is available once a month for military members' exams.

• Veterinary Services. A veterinarian visits Alconbury once a month.

• Religious Activities. RAF Alconbury Chapel offers regular Protestant and Catholic services, and Jewish services as announced. Synagogues are in Peterborough and Cambridge.

• The Community Relations Advisor is a British civil servant appointed to the staff of the base commander to promote friendship and understanding. She regularly visits both Molesworth and Alconbury to advise on life in Britain, from where to go and what to see to more individual concerns and queries.

• Shopping. The exchange, commissary, concessionaires and theater are at Alconbury.

• Television. Like other bases in the U.K., RAF Alconbury and Molesworth are receiving the Command Information Dissemination System (CIDS), a force protection measure designed to bring timely and accurate information to the military community. CIDS brings nearly 10 times the AFRTS programming previously available to base housing and dormitories at zero cost to the military member.

Cablecom offers additional entertainment subscription packages for a monthly fee. There is no need for converters or a multi-system television or VCR, because all of these services are provided in U.S. standards. CIDS also brings 12 radio stations to the homes -- everything from country and adult rock to Fox Sports Talk and ESPN radio.

High-speed Internet access into the homes is also in the works. Housing areas outside the main bases will receive all of the AFRTS channels and radio channels by direct-to-home satellite broadcast. Equipping homes with DTH requires a satellite dish on the property.

• Skills Development (Arts and Crafts) at Alconbury has classes in brass rubbing, ceramics, glass painting, stained glass, picture matting, framing (self-help), heat sealing, drawing and painting, canvas mounting and fiber arts (macramé, cross stitch).

• The Community Activities Center at Alconbury has a commercial travel agency, party room rental, pool tables, ping pong and darts.

• The Library at Alconbury offers fiction and nonfiction books, periodicals and newspapers, videos, records, tapes, and compact discs, maps and travel guides, Pentium computer systems and a copy machine.

• The Auto Hobby Shop at Alconbury has eight bays, three with lifts, plus car washes, storage facilities, a diagnostic engine analyzer, air-conditioning service and wheel alignment.

• Banking. There is a branch of the Community Bank and two credit unions in the tri-base area.

Croughton

RAF Croughton is located near Brackley, Northamptonshire, about 25 miles north of Oxford and 52 miles northwest of London's Heathrow airport. It is the home of the 422nd Air Base Group, the primary mission of which is to provide command, control, communications and computer (C4) support to DoD and civilian agencies across the European theater as well as base level functions and services for the RAF

The 422nd is comprised of about 280 military, 100 US government service and 87 British Ministry of Defence (MOD) members. There is government housing for both officers and enlisted members, consisting of single and two story units with two to four bedrooms. Single members in the grade of TSgt or above are generally authorized to live off base in the local community.

SERVICES AND FACILITIES

• Croughton community offers a comprehensive and balanced program of leisure and recreational activities, including a library, outdoor recreation office, bowling center, auto skills center, recreation checkout facility, lodging facilities, consolidated club, Community Activities Center, Skills Development Center, Youth Activities Center, Child Development Center, Fitness Center, veterinary services, post office and an Information, Tickets and Tours office. There is a Family Services program with a loan locker and airman's attic and a comprehensive religious program. In addition to the base exchange and commissary

• Shopping. Croughton has a service station, shoppette, concession mall, beauty and barber shop, Bookmark and video store, dry cleaners and tailor shop, New Car Sales and Antique Shop. There is also a food court with Anthony's Pizza, Robin Hood Sandwiches and Baskin Robbins Ice Cream.

• Schools. The Croughton American School, operated through the Department of Defense Dependents Schools System, offers a comprehensive K-8 curriculum. The base education center provides a variety of undergraduate courses through the University of Maryland and the City Colleges of Chicago.

• Medical and Dental. There are some limitations in the conditions that can be handled at the Medical Aid Station (MAS). The Primary Care Clinic of the Medical Flight provides outpatient medical care. Two board-certified family physicians are available to evaluate and treat most common medical problems, simple emergencies and minor surgical procedures. Laboratory services are also available and radiology studies are provided by local national facilities or at RAF Lakenheath. A social worker is also available to provide counseling, stress management and behavioral services.

Comprehensive dental care is provided for all active duty members and their families. A broad range of specialty care is available for both the Primary Care and Dental Clinics through referrals to local national physicians or at RAF Lakenheath. External support is provided by the 48th Medical Group at RAF Lakenheath and by host nation medical facilities. The MAS is not staffed to support night or weekend care so personnel are asked to consider enrolling in the National Health Service (NHS) with a local general practitioner.

Fairford

RAF Fairford is a USAF contingency base in the Cotswolds of Gloucestershire, a picturesque area of rolling countryside and limestone villages. The base, about 90 miles west of London, is located near two sizeable communities, Swindon and Cirencester, and the famed university city of Oxford is only 30 miles away.

Other places handy to the base include Stonehenge, with its celebrated Neolithic and Bronze Age monument; Warwick Castle, built by William the Conqueror; the elegant Georgian city of Bath, and Shakespeare's birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon. The area surrounding RAF Fairford is mostly rural and has many narrow, curved roads. Don't let this stop you from exploring the surrounding countryside, but consider taking along a "navigator" your first few times out.

The base is the home of the 424th Air Base Squadron, the primary mission of which is to maintain a contingency base that supports deployments of various aircraft several times a year. It is also the home of the Royal International Air Tattoo that is usually held in July.

SERVICES & FACILITIES

• Sports and Recreation. Base facilities include a fitness center, bowling center, Community Activities Center and library. The fitness center has saunas, a basketball court, cycling machines, treadmills, racquetball, handball and tennis courts, a weight room outfitted with free weights and a number of "state of the art" workout stations. The bowling center has ten lanes for open and league bowling, automatic Brunswick scoring and video games. There is also a lake on base with picnic areas, recreational areas and restrooms.

• The Community Activities Center has a dining room, bar, slot machines, pool and snooker tables, a TV lounge, video games and pinball machines. There are frequent discos and other special events, and the small but comprehensive library has a children's section and a private study area.

• Family Services. RAF Fairford has a Child Development Center capable of handling up to 35 children. Sometimes there is a waiting list (especially for children under 2 years of age) but the center carries a list of accredited childcare services in the local community. RAF Fairford also has a youth program which offers a school age summer care program five days a week for ages 5 to 12 and a before and after school age program during the school year. There is a fee for the summer care program.

• Schools. Several options are available for education in the RAF Fairford area. Playgroups for pre-school children are conducted at Kempsford Village Hall, about two miles from the base. This program is also offered in Fairford village, next to the Fairford Primary School. For kindergarten and elementary schoolchildren, the nearest American School is the Department of Defense schools (DoDDS) facility at RAF Croughton. Aside from the standard curriculum, the Croughton school provides special subject teachers in physical education, music, health, art and computers. Extracurricular activities provided include volleyball, track, soccer, drama, yearbook, literary magazine and math count. Older students commute an hour and a half to attend the DoDDS high school in London. Local area schools provide educational opportunities for children aged 5 through 18, and about a half of the base elementary school children attend British schools. The local Primary British schools are Kempsford Primary, Fairford Primary, Meysey Hampton Primary, and Down Ampney Primary, which are all Church of England schools.

• Adult education. It's possible to work for a degree at RAF Fairford, though it's a challenge. Formalized classes are limited to core curriculum (Math 101, English 101, Speech 100, etc.) and the base doesn't offer advanced classes in this area. However, there are video courses available on a wide range of subjects, plus long distance learning classes based on e-mail and the World Wide Web. CLEP and DANTES testing is also available to possibly give you college credits for what you already know. RAF Croughton, an hour away, also has an education program in which people from Fairford are welcome to participate.

• Health Services. A small medical aid station with limited hours is staffed with two independent duty medical technicians. Medical care is for active duty personnel only, though limited over-the-counter pharmacy is provided for others. There are many options for adequate medical coverage in the local area. There are physicians and specialists in Fairford town and hospitals in Cirencester and Swindon, which are, respectively, 20 and 30 minutes away. The nearest USAFE medical facility, a clinic, is located at RAF Croughton. It has a health benefits advisor and can provide limited optometry and dental care and referrals to either RAF Lakenheath or the local economy. Dependents are encouraged to sign up with the local National Health System (NHS) in England.

• Religious Activities. The RAF Fairford Chapel has an active Protestant congregation. Services are conducted by a USAF Chaplain and a US civilian minister. There are also Baptist, Methodist, Jewish, Catholic and Muslim, and Church of England congregations in Swindon and the surrounding villages.

• Family Support Center: RAF Fairford has a Family Services Center that offers many of the same services that the Family Support Center offers on a smaller scale. Some of the services available are the Loan Closet, Relocation Assistance Program, the Family Attic, Information Referral program, and the Parent Toddler Playgroup.

• Shopping. The base exchange is a limited stock store with supplies of electronic equipment such as TVs, VCRs and computers; a small selection of videos and CDs; toys, and some clothing. The staff will special order items or customers may choose to have items transferred from other exchanges. Layaways are available, as is deferred payment. The concession mall includes a beauty shop with limited operating hours, a barbershop and a souvenir gift shop. The base service station, shoppette, which does business in dollars at American prices, offers unleaded and leaded gasoline but no diesel fuel. There is also a movie theater on base that shows movies generally on Thursday and Saturday evenings.

• The Defense Commissary Agency operates a sales store that is remarkably good considering the size of the base. It has a selection of frozen foods, produce, dairy products, frozen meats and canned goods, plus a deli counter and a meat department. The staff takes special orders.

• Banking. The Community Bank branch on base has an automatic teller machine and offers checking accounts in dollars and pound sterling, signature and personal car loans, certificates of deposit, travelers checks and international money orders. It provides currency exchange and check cashing services to non-depositors as well as to depositors.

• The Community Relations Advisor is a part time host nation citizen that offers information on the practicalities of living in the area.

Lakenheath

RAF Lakenheath is the largest U.S. Air Force-operated base in England and home of the only F-15 fighter wing in U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). The wing has supported Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom with aircraft and personnel.

The base is located in a rural area of Suffolk made up of small towns and villages. Personnel live in these villages if they are not in base housing. The area is called East Anglia, the name given to the four counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.

Instead of jampacked, high rise cities, East Anglia boasts quiet towns and villages, farms and forests, and many historical points of interest. It's about 80 miles from London, close enough to make big city life available when it's wanted.

During the Middle Ages, East Anglia was one of the wealthiest areas of England. Sheep raising, wool and manufactured clothes were the basis of a very profitable trade with Europe, and the remaining churches, castles and abbey ruins attest to the wealth that was accumulated. But in the 1500s, the wool trade declined and at the same time England was turning her attention away from Europe. As the nation concentrated on colonizing America and other places around the world, East Anglia remained predominantly rural.

Probably the best known city in the area, Cambridge (population 91,000) is about 35 miles southwest of the base. The city has 29 colleges and attracts students from around the world. The climate in the area is cool in summer and mild damp in winter.

Sites of military interest in the area include the American Cemetery at Madingley, near Cambridge, for those who fell in World War II, and the Duxford Air Museum, the finest collection of civil and military aircraft in Britain.

SERVICES AND FACILITIES

• Sports & Recreation. The Sport and Fitness Center has a cardiovascular room, nautilus room, free weight room, racquetball courts and a full size gymnasium. The Rod and Gun Club, which is operated privately, offers a wide variety of activities like hunting, archery, skeet and trap shooting, organized shoots and darts. There is live entertainment on weekends. Other sports facilities include a Bowling Center, with 24 lanes, a pro shop and a snack bar; an indoor, 25-meter swimming pool with classes for fitness, beginners and aerobics; a nine-hole golf course with 18 different tee positions, and a skating rink.

• Health Services. The Lakenheath hospital and clinic provide high-quality medical and dental care to all patients. It averages 15,000 patient visits, 350 admissions, 261 surgical procedures and 60 births per month.

• Health Care. The hospital facilities at RAF Lakenheath provide general and specialized medical services to active duty and retired military, their family members and U.S. civilians employed in the area. It is the referral medical facility for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army personnel assigned to the United Kingdom, and is a referral facility for all of USAFE. It averages 16,000 patient visits, 272 admissions, 267 surgical procedures and 49 births per month. Some 733 personnel serve your medical needs

• Schools. Lakenheath Elementary School, with an enrollment of over 1,400 is for children in grades K-5. The Elementary School at RAF Feltwell (10 miles from RAF Lakenheath) is smaller with grades K-5. Lakenheath American Middle School at RAF Feltwell has more than 700 students. Lakenheath High School is for dependents of the military, government employees and civilians from private American firms.

American children can attend British schools. Contact with them is best done through education officials on the base. School terms (three per year) usually run from the second week in September to mid-July, with breaks between terms. A few nursery classes are attached to primary schools in the West Suffolk area, but there are seldom enough places to go around. There are, however, several privately run nursery schools and informal pre-school playgroups. American holidays are not observed at British schools.

• Religious Activities. The Base Chapel is conveniently located near the Base Exchange and the Base Hospital. A modern annex with kitchen facilities supports many social and fellowship events. Almost every village has a Church of England parish which generally will be in an old historical setting. Services are often liturgical with some special services periodically scheduled.

• The American Red Cross provides social welfare casework services including emergency communications and financial assistance. Health and safety courses and volunteer opportunities are provided.

• Community Youth Program. The vast majority of programs for youth engaged in by RAF Lakenheath family members are through the base American Youth Activities program. There are Boy and Girl Scouts, an in-line skating rink and chapel programs

• A Community Relations Advisor is appointed by the British Ministry of Defense, with the job of acting as a liaison between base personnel and the local community, and to help service members and their families enjoy their stay in Britain.

• Shopping. The BX is the largest in the UK providing a wide variety of consumer items, ranging from clothing, electronics and household goods to stationary, appliances and health items. Contracted services provided through AAFES include beauty and barber shops, car rentals, flowers, dry cleaning, alterations, tailor shop, engraving and various china and giftware services.

• The Commissary, which also serves Mildenhall, is large, modern and equipped with 12 cash registers to facilitate a quick check out.

• Clubs. The Eagle's Landing and Liberty Clubs provide a lunch service, evening dining, informal pub snacks, and excel at special functions. There is also an NCO club. Check cashing and currency exchange services are also available at both clubs.

• Library. Leisure and professional reading material are available as well as computers with CD-ROM, photocopiers, an audio-visual center, microfilm, books on tape, videos and more.

• The Woodcrafts Center offers a wide range of machinery and hand held tools for woodworking.

• Banking. There is a Credit Union and bank on base.

• Liberty Lodge is a temporary lodging facility for all ranks, whether on official duty or (if space is available) on leave. It has 80 private rooms with bath plus 40 more rooms with a shared bath, a kitchen complete with utensils, color TV, maid service and free washer/dryer.

Mildenhall

RAF Mildenhall is about 70 miles north of London, 26 miles northeast of Cambridge, and 13 miles northwest of Bury St. Edmunds. It conducts air refueling, force reception, force deployment and support operations for the United States Forces and NATO.

Since October 16, 1934, when it officially opened, RAF Mildenhall has been at the center of aviation for the air forces of the United Kingdom and the United States.

East Anglia is the name given to the four counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire, which together form the most easterly portion of central England. RAF Mildenhall lies in the northwest corner of Suffolk. Sites of military interest in the area include the American Cemetery at Madingley, near Cambridge, for those who fell in World War II, and the Duxford Air Museum, the finest collection of aircraft in Britain.

Every village has at least one pub. It isn't the same as a bar in the States, but is a traditional meeting place for the adults of the village. Single women won't automatically be suspect if they go in by themselves for a drink, but they may feel more comfortable taking a book or magazine along to read while they do so. You don't have to buy alcohol; they serve tea, coffee and sodas too.

SERVICES & FACILITIES

• Sports and Recreation. The Outdoor Recreation Center offers deep sea and fresh water fishing trips, ice skating, skiing trips, pony trekking, war games, spelunking, camping, rafting, sailing and sail boarding. Outdoor Recreation & Recreation Rental provides the needs for camping and sports, plus tools, lawn and garden implements, TVs, VCRs, camcorders, trailers, carpet cleaners, and much more. The Sports and Fitness Center's services include a sauna, basketball court, weight room outfitted with free weights and universal gym set, racquetball courts, handball, tennis courts, cycling machines and treadmill. The Hardstand Fitness Center, Mildenhall's second fitness facility, is located near the flight line and boasts an indoor track, gym, weights and cardio equipment. The Health and Wellness Center is also located here

• Golf. There is a nine-hole course with 18 tee boxes, driving range, lessons, monthly tournament and a wide range of golf equipment and accessories. The golf course is located at RAF Lakenheath about 5 Miles from RAF Mildenhall.

• Health Care. The hospital facilities at RAF Lakenheath provide general and specialized medical services to active-duty and retired military, their family members and U.S. civilians employed in the area. It is the referral medical facility for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army personnel assigned to the U.K., and is a referral facility for all of USAFE. Some 733 personnel serve your medical needs. It averages 16,000 patient visits, 272 admissions, 267 surgical procedures and 49 births per month.

Flight Surgeon's offices are located at RAFs Mildenhall and Lakenheath and provide limited care for active-duty flyers and some flyers' family members.

Dental Clinics are also located at both RAFs. Family member services are provided at Lakenheath.

Under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), all US military or DoD members and family members residing in the UK are entitled to care through the National Health Service, free of charge. In general, if services cannot be provided to you through the resources of the military you may be referred (or refer yourself) to NHS resources.

• Veterinary Services. The U.S. Army Veterinary Clinic located at RAF Feltwell about 7 Miles from both bases provides routine immunizations, health certificates, routine exams, deworming and treatment of minor illnesses. Most other non-basic surgery is referred out. A variety of flea control and health care products are also available. Your pets must be registered at the military/civilian commander support staff (CSS) for assistance at the Veterinary Clinic upon arrival. If your pet is not registered properly veterinary service will not be provided.

• Red Cross services include verification of death or sudden illness, birth announcements, health and welfare reports, babysitting classes, CPR classes, basic first aid and a variety of volunteer and training programs.

• The Youth Center at Mildenhall offers a before/after-school care programs, a preschool program, summer camp and gymnastics, karate, ballet, drill team, performing arts, tennis and an active sports program. There is also a large Youth Center at nearby Lakenheath.

• Shopping. The BX at Lakenheath, five miles away, is the largest in the UK. It sells everything from clothing, electronics and household goods to stationery, appliances and health items. Facilities at Mildenhall include the BXtra, barber shop, alteration shop, eating establishments, and several concessions for your convenience.

Mildenhall also has a small commissary which sells grocery essentials. A large commissary is located on Lakenheath.

• Radio and TV programming is provided by cable. AFN is free and receivable in on-base housing and available to off base residents if they wish to rent or purchase an AFN decoder box at the BX. Various cable packages are available. They offer Country Music, Sky One, Sky Movies Plus, TNT Cartoon, UK Gold, Nickelodeon, MTV, Children Channel, Discovery, CNN, Sky Movies Gold, Sky Sports and the Movie Channel. American television sets are not compatible with British broadcasting transmitting systems and cannot be converted. If you have a television capable of receiving any signal, you must pay a TV licensing fee.

• Club. Whether it's fine dining, a spectacular entertainment show or a night out at the theater, you'll find it at the Galaxy Complex. It's open to all ranks and has two eating facilities; New York Pizza and Deli and the Roadhouse Grill. It also has a large ballroom and a Sports Lounge.

• Tickets and Tours offer full commercial travel services to include airfares, overseas travel, package tours, theater tickets, travel brochures and general information.

• Banking facilities. The on-base Community Bank branch offers most of the services normally associated with a hometown bank. There is also a branch of the Keesler Credit Union with banking services for members.

• Religious Activities. RAF Mildenhall Chapel offers Jewish, Protestant and Catholic services, Sunday school programs, confirmation classes and Protestant Youth of the Chapel (PYOC) for students.

TIME/MILEAGE CHART:
The Chart below shows trip length in miles/time(hours:minutes) between major bases and nearby cities in England.
Distances / times are for travel from city center to city center.
Distances / times reflect the shortest / quickest route from one place to another assuming the following average speeds:

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