Air Force wife Annaruth Diller takes a photograph of RAF Lakenheath-based servicemembers who donned period uniforms during the 48th Fighter Wing’s 60th anniversary celebration in November. (Charlie Reed/S&S)
Air Force wife Annaruth Diller takes a photograph of RAF Lakenheath-based servicemembers who donned period uniforms during the 48th Fighter Wing’s 60th anniversary celebration in November. (Charlie Reed/S&S)
Master Sgt. Curt Koenig, with the 48th Fighter Wing command, and wife April watch a slide show of the base’s archaeological heritage. (Charlie Reed/S&S)
Capt. Vivian Newport, a nurse, pulls a baby warmer from behind wooden cabinets inside one of seven new birthing rooms at the RAF Lakenheath hospital. (Charlie Reed/S&S)
Jinny McLamb holds her daughter, Amelia, nearly 4 months old and still without a Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine because of a shortage at the RAF Lakenheath hospital. (Geoff Ziezulewicz/S&S)
The Breckland Brass Band, based in nearby Brandon, plays 1940s-era music during the 60th anniversary of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath. About 350 Americans and Britons came out for a night of nostalgia, guest speakers and memorabilia from the wing’s storied Air Force history. (Charlie Reed/S&S)
Still writing 2008 on your checks and asking yourself where the year went? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
With only a week invested in the new year, 2008 is still fresh in our minds. From the financial reprieve we got as the dollar finally rebounded against the pound, to the convicted airman who escaped from RAF Lakenheath and remains on the lam, it’s been an eventful year in the United Kingdom.
Stripes has culled the top military news stories to come out of the U.K. in 2008. Some, such as the opening of the new maternity ward at the hospital, are sure to affect troops and their families well into the new year. Still others, such as the 60th anniversary of the 48th Fighter Wing, simply added another layer of history to the longstanding U.S. military presence in the U.K.
So, here they are, with No. 1 being the top story of the year.
Pound drops against the dollar
Early in 2008, exchange rates of $2 or more to the pound were a standard grumbling point for those stationed in the U.K. But starting in the fall, the pound began to drop as economies around the world crumbled. As of the last few days of 2008, the pound was sitting at $1.46, its lowest rate in years. It was a mixed blessing for some, as the drastic exchange rate drop meant a drop in cost-of-living allowance in airmen’s paychecks.
Airman remains at large
Just three months into his three-year sentence for possessing child pornography, Airman Jeremy Parrott in July escaped from RAF Lakenheath. The incident ignited a nationwide manhunt that is still under way. Parrot, 29, sneaked away from an escort while at the base hospital and has managed to elude British and American authorities ever since. In mid-December, the Air Force issued a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Lakenheath hospital runs out of infant vaccine
Air Force babies in the U.K. were going without a vital preventive vaccine earlier this year after hospital staff said in April that they ran out of their supply and weren’t sure when they would get more of the Haemophilus influenzae type b, or Hib, shots.
In all, more than 100 babies were left without the initial vaccine or booster shots usually administered during a child’s first year to prevent bacterial infections. Once the shortage was publicized, medical officials in Germany rushed Hib doses to the hospital. Pediatricians across the States and at military clinics continue to grapple with a vaccine shortage due to a recall of more than 1 million units in late 2007.
British soldier found responsible for friendly-fire deaths in Afghanistan
A British soldier was found by the Ministry of Defence to be responsible for an August 2007 friendly-fire incident, when a Lakenheath-based F-15 mistakenly dropped a 500-pound bomb on a British position during a firefight in Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand province, killing three British soldiers and injuring two others.
The unidentified senior noncommissioned officer could have faced court-martial but was exonerated by the British Army Prosecuting Authority in October.
New digs for new moms
Following in the footsteps of civilian hospitals across the U.S., the hospital at RAF Lakenheath opened a maternity ward in September that allows women to stay in the same room before, during and after childbirth.
The seven new LDRP rooms — standing for labor, delivery, recovery postpartum — were part of a $2.1 million maternity ward renovation. Designed to be both more comfortable for patients and more efficient for doctors and nurses, the LDRP rooms are a "one-stop shop from the time you come in to deliver," said Col. Kenneth McDonnell, 48th Medical Group commander.
48th Fighter Wing celebrates 60th
Americans and Britons came out in droves in November to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 48th Fighter Wing and the longstanding ties between U.S. troops and the British. Guest speakers told of decorated aviators who flew missions for the wing and a brass band was brought in to entertain the crowd with 1940s-era music.
No vehicle pass needed, new driving/fuel cards issued
Getting on base got a little easier when 3rd Air Force eliminated the need for vehicle passes in June. The move was made so guards at the gates could focus more on individuals than vehicles, officials said at the time. It was part of an overhaul of several driving-related procedures in the U.K. during the summer, including the issuance of a new driving/fuel permit that replaced the two separate cards. The paper coupons used by drivers to buy tax-free gas off base were also replaced with a separate fuel card.
Daring rescue off Irish coast
Servicemembers from RAFs Lakenheath and Mildenhall in December anchored an international rescue hundreds of miles off the coast of Ireland. Led by two HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters from Lakenheath’s 56th Rescue Squadron, the mission facilitated the evacuation of an injured crewman from a massive cargo ship in the North Atlantic. A C-130 and KC-135 from Mildenhall were also integral to the effort, which required several air refueling maneuvers over the remote waters. The patient had critical head trauma from a fall on the ship and his injuries were considered life-threatening.
Alconbury commander relieved of duty
The commander of the 423rd Air Base Group at RAF Alconbury was relieved of his command in January after about six months on the job.
Col. Robert G. Steele was relieved of duty on Jan. 18 by the 501st Combat Support Wing commander, Col. Kimberly Toney.
"The action was administrative, not punitive," Toney said in a press release issued at the time. "I lost confidence in Col. Steele’s ability to lead the group."
The release stated that Steele was not under investigation and no criminal charges were expected to be filed against him.
Afghans sneak onto base
Two Afghan youths sneaked onto RAF Lakenheath in July aboard a commissary-bound truck.
It was the second time in little more than a year that non-British foreigners illegally gained access to the base. U.S. Air Forces in Europe changed commercial vehicle inspection policies to include crawl spaces under trucks after the breach. The Afghans were taken into custody by British immigration officials and were not charged by U.S. authorities.
