U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Lander and Senior Airman Michael Omana unload pets from the Patriot Express at RAF Mildenhall, England, May 9, 2023. The Patriot Express transports personnel and their families to and from Baltimore/Washington International Airport twice a week. (Anthony Hetlage/U.S. Air Force)
RAF MILDENHALL, England — An early New Year’s resolution for 2024 will bring an end to Patriot Express service for U.S. personnel in England.
The flights into and out of RAF Mildenhall will cease Jan. 1, a U.S. Transportation Command spokesman said Tuesday, confirming an announcement last week on the base’s Facebook page. Thousands of U.S. airmen and their families are based at Mildenhall and other bases, including RAF Lakenheath, Feltwell and Molesworth.
RAF Mildenhall officials did not respond to questions Wednesday about the change.
Since the launch of the service at Mildenhall in September 2022, the base had only 4,707 Patriot Express passengers, a passenger usage rate of 33%, according to TRANSCOM figures.
Service members and their families disembark a Patriot Express flight after landing at RAF Mildenhall in England on May 9, 2023. The Patriot Express service, also known as the rotator, will be canceled at Mildenhall on Jan. 1, 2024. (Anthony Hetlage/U.S. Air Force)
In contrast, the flights from Baltimore/Washington International Airport to Ramstein Air Base in Germany average a 103% usage rate. The number for service between the airport and Incirlik Air Base in Turkey is 83% on average, while Thule Air Base in Greenland averages a 106% rate, TRANSCOM said.
Also known as the rotator or “cat B” flight, the Patriot Express is a commercial charter contracted by the Defense Department that provides flights to personnel on official duty, which can include moves and morale leave. Family members also may use the flights.
There are no plans to open any other similar flights in the United Kingdom, the TRANSCOM spokesman said, adding that commercial flights remain an option for U.S. service members stationed in the U.K.
In comments on local social media forums, one aspect that drew negative feedback was the effect on pet travel. Rotator flights have allowed active-duty personnel to travel overseas with their pets for a much lower cost.
A new DOD policy that reimburses for pet transportation costs and takes effect at the same time as the end of Mildenhall’s Patriot Express service could offset the loss of the chartered route in some cases. The policy covers up to $2,000 for an overseas assignment, though sometimes families pay commercial airlines considerably more out of pocket, especially if they have more than one pet or a large dog breed.
