US national guard arrive at airbase

US national guard arrive at airbase

The US national guardsmen will check vehicles

An airbase in Suffolk is set to welcome officially more than 100 members of the United States national guard.

The move is to free up manpower shortages caused by possible action in the Gulf.

Earlier this month it was revealed that troops will be sent to RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire.

These are officially RAF stations, but are run and occupied by the US Air Force.

Now a spokesperson for the USAF at RAF Lakenheath has announced that national guard soldiers, some from as far away at Puerto Rico, will be officially welcomed to the base on Friday.

Security and law enforcement

The troops are due to be stationed at the base for six months.

They will assist the the US 48th Security Forces Squadron with security and law enforcement on the base.

The soldiers will search vehicles at the base and check visitors.

Lakenheath is a base for US F-15 aircraft, the headquarters of the third US air force is based in Mildenhall and Molesworth is a military intelligence centre.