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RAF MILDENHALL, England — In an effort to relieve traffic congestion at RAF Lakenheath, officials are changing the time of retreat, when the national anthem is played and the flag lowered, signaling the end of the official duty day.

Starting Monday, the U.S. and U.K. national anthems will be played one hour later, at 5:30 p.m., officials said in a news release.

Officials anticipate the time change will “ease traffic congestion, resulting in a cost-effective improvement to on-base road use during peak hours.”

“With the exception of the national anthems playing an hour later, the change should be nearly invisible to the local populace,” officials said in the release. “There will be no corresponding shift to duty hours and locals should not expect a significant change to off-base traffic patterns.”

Nearby RAFs Mildenhall, Feltwell and Alconbury have no plans to change their retreat times, according to the release.

news@stripes.com

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