RAF Mildenhall to close. Lakenheath to get F-35 by 2020

[STN RAMP RAT]

I wonder what effect the Biden Presidency will have on the decision to relocate the F16's away from Spangdahlem and therefore the moves from Mildenhall to Germany. Time will tell if the move of the F16's to Aviano was a USAF idea or a Trump idea.

[reaperops]

I wonder what effect the Biden Presidency will have on the decision to relocate the F16's away from Spangdahlem and therefore the moves from Mildenhall to Germany. Time will tell if the move of the F16's to Aviano was a USAF idea or a Trump idea.

Probably a 4 year extension of this thread.......

[page_verify]

I wonder what effect the Biden Presidency will have on the decision to relocate the F16's away from Spangdahlem and therefore the moves from Mildenhall to Germany. Time will tell if the move of the F16's to Aviano was a USAF idea or a Trump idea.

You're having a giraffe? It'll be changes to the Senate and House of Representatives that might cause changes to European defence policy. Trump thought he could meddle in the detail but the courts and ultimately the voters showed the president actually has little influence in little details.

[Kurnass]

It’s not that the president decides which units might relocate or not. But if the president decides European friendships should be restored, the Pentagon might decide to changes in the decision on relocating units.

So again its all about “wait and see what happens, or doesn’t happen after all”.

[slogen51]

I have heard from down Folly Rd that Mildenhall might close or it might not.

[reaperops]

I have heard from down Folly Rd that Mildenhall might close or it might not.

Presumably, this rumour was before the lock down commenced and rumours created during lock down shouldn't be posted until Top Management gives the ok. . .

[slogen51]

It was meant to be a joke

Is it might shut or may stay open?

Bit off topic but can you be off topic on a thread with 72 pages of conjecture!

Actually time is running out for the F-35A to arrive by 31/12/2020

[baz1]

It was meant to be a joke

Is it might shut or may stay open?

Bit off topic but can you be off topic on a thread with 72 pages of conjecture!

Actually time is running out for the F-35A to arrive by 31/12/2020

71pages and still going Mike

[C24]

It was meant to be a joke

Actually time is running out for the F-35A to arrive by 31/12/2020

71pages and still going Mike

When did it leave?

[Snoop 95]

Lengthy article in the local paper about the implications of Joe Biden's Presidency. Mildenhall is mentioned and i am not sure that the terms used are correct. It says that Mr Obama made the decision to close Mildenhall and that Mr Trump overturned it. I know politics has long tentacles but I thought it was the DoD that decided Mildenhall chould go as part of a world-wide re-structuring programme. yes Mr T got upset with the Germans and the reprieve of Mildenhall was probably a spin-off from that, but surely the Military is run by the DoD and locally USAFE.
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/mildenhall- ... -1-6925043

[Agent K]

Lengthy article in the local paper about the implications of Joe Biden's Presidency. Mildenhall is mentioned and i am not sure that the terms used are correct. It says that Mr Obama made the decision to close Mildenhall and that Mr Trump overturned it. I know politics has long tentacles but I thought it was the DoD that decided Mildenhall chould go as part of a world-wide re-structuring programme. yes Mr T got upset with the Germans and the reprieve of Mildenhall was probably a spin-off from that, but surely the Military is run by the DoD and locally USAFE.
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/mildenhall- ... -1-6925043

Agreed, I doubt they even know where Mildenhall is...….. the base realignment decisions are DoD's response to budget targets set by the government in power at that time, these two (now ex-) Presidents of course will not be making decisions down to this level.

[page_verify]

"No matter what Generals may say in public about priorities, priorities are truly set by budget. If something is an important, it'll get fully funded. If it's important but less of a priority, it'll get at least partial funding. Things that don't get funded? Well, it's not really a priority, despite whatever rhetoric surrounds it. And it's not just the AF that sets the priorities, but Congress gets to weigh in with the defense authorization and appropriations bills, and can adjust funding (aka priority) as well. And the AF can only spend money on what Congress both authorizes and appropriates, with little ability to move money around without asking Congress for permission first."

"Biden if he becomes POTUS (the most likely thing to happen but he's not yet officially POTUS-elect) will survey the security environment and see we have to pull back or reduce where it's really just because we've been there forever (Germany, UK, Spain, SK) and divest what we really don't need in current quantities or at all. This is not a peace dividend but a reallocation to a combat oriented force capable of defeating peer competitors that have been building systems and tactics to asymmetrically destroy or deny what the US has grown accustomed to having in recent combat operations."

A couple of quotes from a USAF O-5 over on BaseOps.

[CHINOOKER]

Having seen a lot of news coverage of Biden over the past week or so,future decision making seems to be a "mixed bag". He is reported to be keen to rebuild bridges with Germany after Trump somewhat called them out for thier defence spending etc! On the other hand, Biden seems to be more sceptical of closer relations with both China and Russia,which Trump had started to "cosy up to". Only time will tell,which way the new administration will go!!

[Kurnass]

It seems the relocation of US troops from Germany is off the table again. According to German media US Congress will block a pullout from Germany. Grafenwohr and Vilseck were hardest hit by these pullout, but also the relocation from Spangdahlem F-16’s might be off the table.

[Vulcan74]

Seems most plans put forward by Trumps government are up in the air again!!

[Kurnass]

Seems most plans put forward by Trumps government are up in the air again!!

That was to be expected. The first months of Biden’s presidency will be mainly about 2 things: corona virus, and repairing damage done to international relations by Trump

[Unknown74]

Let's just keep our fingers crossed for Mildenhall.

[Rugbyref]

Seems most plans put forward by Trumps government are up in the air again!!

That was to be expected. The first months of Biden’s presidency will be mainly about 2 things: corona virus, and repairing damage done to international relations by Trump

Yes, Biden will seek to wind back on the good relations the US built with the UK.

[Kurnass]

Seems most plans put forward by Trumps government are up in the air again!!

That was to be expected. The first months of Biden’s presidency will be mainly about 2 things: corona virus, and repairing damage done to international relations by Trump

Yes, Biden will seek to wind back on the good relations the US built with the UK.

Remember these words from Joe Biden....

“We can’t allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit.

Any trade deal between the U.S. and U.K. must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period.”

[Finty]

As per above, from DW

Germany welcomes bid to halt US troop withdrawal

Berlin hopes the bid to halt US troop withdrawals will buy time for talks with Washington — or lead to the plans being scrapped altogether. President Donald Trump's plans would see 12,000 troops pulled from Germany. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed relief on Friday over a move by US lawmakers to halt planned troop reductions that would see thousands of soldiers leave Germany.

"As things stand we have never been given any information about the troop reductions that were announced in July, so we can't say what the plans are or if they even exist," Maas told reporters. "But we are glad that there appears to be agreement between Republicans and Democrats in Washington on revisiting this decision," he added. "American soldiers are welcome here. They contribute not just to Germany's but also to Europe's security."

What did US lawmakers agree? Late Thursday, US lawmakers from both parties agreed a final version of the nation's annual defense spending bill — which included a section expressing support for US troops to remain in Germany. The bill bars the withdrawal of any troops in Germany for 120 days until the secretary of defense submits an analysis of the impact of the withdrawal. The bill still needs to pass Congress and also faces a potential veto from outgoing President Donald Trump. In June, Trump announced plans to withdraw some 12,000 soldiers out of the approximately 34,500 stationed across Germany. There has been a major US military presence in Germany ever since 1945, with troops in the former West Germany effectively the advanced guard for a feared Soviet invasion during the Cold War.

Other German politicians have welcomed the move, saying it could signify a renewal of German-US relations. Thomas Silberhorn, a junior minister at the German Defense Ministry, told DW the move at the very least buys German officials time to hold talks with their US counterparts. "It is a preliminary hold — in order to reconsider the situation, in order to define American interests and also in order to have consultations with Germany and Europe as NATO allies, and we hope to be able to take this opportunity, to put forward our arguments," he said. Roderich Kiesewetter, an MP and parliamentary foreign policy expert for Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), described the development as "step forward" in trans-Atlantic ties. Kiesewetter, who is a former military officer, said the presence of US troops in Germany was significant not only for Washington's ties with Berlin, but also for wider defense decisions in the region. "It's not only a question of reassurance, it's also not only a question of tradition — it's a sign […] that US policy, accepts the threat assessment of the Eastern European countries, and it accepts as well the hospitality of the German society."

An previous version of this article stated that Trump made the troop withdrawal announcement in July, when the announcement came in June. This has now been corrected. DW apologizes for the error.

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-welcomes- ... a-55829501