More than 50 U.S families assigned to an airbase in the United Kingdom have been told to vacate their homes soon, some shortly after the New Year, Air Force officials confirmed Wednesday.
A group of 31 families at Royal Air Force Mildenhall must move by Jan. 31, Capt. Geneva Giaimo, a spokeswoman for the 100th Air Refueling Wing told Task & Purpose, while another 20 families are scheduled to move by Aug. 1.
The families got word on Monday that the homes they live in on the English base — many of which date to before World War II — have been deemed unsafe and will soon be demolished. A recent inspection by the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron found structural problems with the houses that could be dangerous, Giaimo said.
The homes were expected to be demolished in 2027 but the plan was moved up after inspectors found that at least some of the chimneys in the homes housing 31 families faced “a non-zero risk of collapse,” according to civil engineer squadron documents posted on the unofficial Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page.
“Because the damage from a major collapse could cause serious injury, leadership does not accept the risk of keeping personnel any longer in those homes than is required to effect moves in an orderly manner,” the documents say. “Nothing has changed about the condition of your homes, the survey just found that there was a previously unknown risk. However, if you or any of your family members feel unsafe remaining in a red designated house until moved, please speak with your first sergeant about arranging emergency temporary accommodations until a move can be arranged.”
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The chimneys in the homes of the other 20 families are in better condition and deemed to be at a low risk of collapse, according to the documents.
The families currently live in one of the oldest neighborhoods on the base that dates back to the 1930s and 1940s, Giaimo said.
“The installation civil engineers have assessed that rather than continue to refurbish old homes, it makes more sense to use funds towards building new, better designed, larger and more modern housing to meet the needs of today’s Airmen,” Giaimo said.
Starting on Wednesday, the 48th Housing Office began meeting with families being forced to move, Giaimo said. There are open on-base housing options for each of the families, who also have the option to move off base if they prefer.
Wherever they go, the families are not required to pay out of pocket for moving expenses, Giaimo said, with moving and dislocation allowances and emergency funds already authorized for the families.
Depending on when they are scheduled to return to the United States, affected families have the option of leaving RAF Mildenhall earlier than their next Permanent Change of Station, or PCS move, Giaimo said. Air Force leaders are working with the housing office to ensure that these families face as little strain as possible.
On Tuesday, close to 130 service and family members attended a town hall on the base for those affected by the move, along with officials from the Department of Defense Education Activity, or DODEA, schools, Giaimo said.
“One area specifically that commanders are engaged in is in working the DODEA school representatives, to make sure families who move into a different zone will have flexibility in where their elementary and middle school age children attend school,” Giaimo said. “This will provide continuity, rather than making children move schools during their time overseas.”
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