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Duty Position at JARIC - Serves as the U.S. Army imagery intelligence exchange officer to the United Kingdom. Collection Task Group leader, assigned to Operations Wing. The exchange officer is responsible for the coordination, review and execution of all JARIC imagery and geospatial collections. Evaluates and refines all requests for collection, exploitation, and reporting requirements to optimize available resources and to ensure tasking is within the resource constraints. Through briefings, reports, and products, educate the UK Ministry of Defence and Defence Intelligence to more efficiently use imagery in development of the all-source picture. Provide professional briefings to the senior UK military leadership (colonel to general officers) as well as visiting U.S. military officers and civilian intelligence professionals as required. Develop and update the end-to-end collection tactics, techniques and procedures for JARIC and other UK intelligence and combat organizations. Troubleshoot multiple secure networks to ensure data delivery.
Administrative Support
The PEP staff of the US Embassy covers most of the administrative needs through email or telephone calls. You will be hard pressed to come across a more professional support office than the one in the Embassy. This is by far the best personnel support office I have seen. From financial and personnel issues to TDY notification, I am always impressed with the efficiency.
What do you do for PT?
The gym facilities on RAF Brampton are small, but include free weights, treadmills, and exercise machines. The area around camp is beautiful and in the country, so running routes are many and varied. Unit and Station Football (soccer) and Rugby teams art always looking for new members. RAF Alconbury is six miles north and has a bigger gym facility as well as intra-mural sports teams.
Clothing Requirements
Dress smart
You represent the U.S. Army officer corps so it is important how you present yourself. Items purchased on the local economy may be a bit expensive, so be sure to have what you need when you arrive. BX facilities at Alconbury provide some clothing sales but the majority is 44 miles away on RAF Feltwell.
Military The U.S. Army Mess Dress uniform will be necessary, as almost all of the official functions will require this uniform. The Dress Blue uniform is unnecessary since you will not have the need to wear it. Dress greens will not be required for official duties, but you will need it to update your official D.A. photos. The duty uniform at JARIC is BDU equivalent.
Civilian The British forces highly discourage traveling in uniform; so a few business suits will be needed for official visits to the Ministry of Defence and Embassy in London. There will be several events during the year that will require a tuxedo. I purchased one in Huntingdon but it is less expensive in the states. Rentals are available locally but you will find that by the time you leave, you could have purchased a few. Also you should purchase a few bow ties that require you to tie them. By some traditional quirk, the British believe that ready to wear bow ties are not proper.
Description of Housing
RAF Brampton is located next to a village of the same name, and is about 3 miles from the town of Huntingdon. The small, quiet base was donated to the service in WWII and is part of the Brampton Park Estate, which was established by charter to the King in the 12th century.
The area enjoys easy access to several major highways (M1, A1, A14) and local train service provides daily access to London (one hour away) and other major cities. Although not as fully equipped as the nearby U.S. facilities, RAF Brampton does host some notable facilities and activities. There is a family community center, library and small shopette available for service members and families.
One good thing about living at RAF Brampton is the relatively close proximity to U.S. PX and Commissaries. So you get the best of both worlds. Live and work with British military and civilians and inexpensive shopping and postal services in U.S. facilities 6 miles away. This is far from the normal situation in the exchange program.
We are working to get the present set of quarters designated as the PEP quarters. The current house is a detached three-bedroom home. The house is about a quarter of a mile from JARIC so you can easily walk to work. The house is also only 60 meters to the Officers Mess. It is listed as a Type V Special under DHE regulations (O-4/Major housing). It has a separate garage with two smaller utility rooms detached from the house. There is a large fenced back yard (garden) with tall hedges for privacy.
The location of the house is excellent. It is located in a small sub-division of approximately 15 homes in a quiet area of post away from the main road. The local village elementary schools are very conveniently located 400 meters out the back gate.
You will pay rent to the DHE. Housing allowance is administered through the DFAS office in Belgium. Rent includes the quarters, garage (yes you pay for that too), water rates and trash removal (to include recyclables). Utilities (Gas, Electricity, telephone, as well as satellite TV are the tenant responsibilities and local utility companies provide service. Costs will vary depending upon season, personal use and the exchange rate. I suggest you purchase dual voltage equipment when you can because transformers drink electricity and will run up your bill.
The electricity within the house is 220 volts. Up to 3 transformers are available from RAF Croughton when you sign for your refrigerator, washer/ dryer, and dishwasher. Don't worry about buying transformers before arriving. Remember that transformers step down the voltage but do not change the Hertz cycles. Some electric devices and appliances will be affected depending upon voltage and Hertz (UK: 240 volts/50cycles to US: 110 volts/60 cycles). Check your electrical items before shipping.
Sky satellite TV prices range from 20 - 60 pounds depending on your subscriptions.
Small load washers and dryers, American size refrigerators, dishwasher, microwave ovens and transformers are available from RAF Croughton. All are currently in the residence so they will be signed for from the RAF Croughton representaives.
Medical and Dental care
U.S. Support
Links to Area Facilities
The exchange officer and family at JARIC benefits greatly from being centrally located for support at local USAF bases. Three U.S. facilities are located within 15 minutes of RAF Brampton and provide administrational as well as subsistence support for dependents. Thus, the exchange family, although living on and experiencing the best a British base has to offer, is only 15 minutes from U.S. conveniences. The Crossorads link provides detailed information on U.S. Air Force facilities in the UK. You must register with the site but it is very helpful. Below are some of the installations you should review.
RAF Alconbury Although no longer an active air base, Alconbury has the full subsistence support facilities for the personnel and families assigned to EUCOM’s Joint Analysis Center (JAC) Molesworth. Alconbury has a small sized Base Exchange (BX), commissary and post office. There are several smaller shops to include dry cleaners, a Four Seasons and a community bank and credit union. On the administrative side, the USAF Judge Advocate Generals office is available to for legal advice and the transportation and housing office have proved themselves extremely helpful. Because of the restriction issues in the UK with gas coupons, it is quite convenient to have a full service gas station nearby. There is also a Value Added Tax (VAT) relief office on base.
RAF Molesworth Home of the EUCOM JAC, RAF Molesworth provides the offices for vehicle Passes and DEERS enrollment and updates, and ID cards. There is a small medical clinic (active duty only), a branch community bank and a shopette available for use also.
RAF Upwood This is a full clinic and provides medical and limited dental care for the service member and dependents. Almost all medical conditions can be treated at this clinic and a Tricare office is on-site. Major medical issues are referred to the hospital at RAF Lakenheath, located about 40 minutes drive east of Brampton.
Medical Support
The British and the US provide medical care and support for the exchange family. RAF Brampton has a small clinic and pharmacy available for military use at set hours. A luxury of being the exchange officer is that you have access to both the U.S. and British health systems. The entire family can receive National Health Numbers in order to receive medical services anywhere in the country. The local hospital, Hitchenbrooke Hospital, is only about 2 miles from RAF Brampton and it is rated very highly rated and is nationally renowned. On the U.S. side, RAF Upwood provides Tricare family service and RAF Lakenheath has full hospital services. The Exceptional Family Membership Program support is available through RAF Lakenheath if required.
Dental Support
Dental care is provided through RAF Upwood clinic by appointment. This service is limited but referrals to RAF Lakenheath can take care of most requirements. Get your immediate dentals requirements taken care of prior to arrival, then go through the normal military wait for appointments process.
Description of Military Post Office, Commissary and PX Facilities
All stateside mail is routed through APO AE to the post office at RAF Alconbury. The new officer can receive a post office box prior to his arrival with a letter of authorization to the serving exchange officer.
Domestic correspondence, to include bills, local mail and Embassy correspondence, is available to your home. The service is very reliable and timely. A posted letter usually takes no more than a day or two for delivery. Cost is also comparable to US rates.
Commissary and PX/BX
RAF Alconbury has a full service Commissary with all the products DeCA offers. A larger commissary is located on RAF Lakenheath (43 miles east). Shoppettes on RAFs Alconbury and Molesworth provide quick purchases and after hours shopping. The AAFES BX ( same as PX but on an Air Force Base ) provides a customer service counter, special orders, electronics department, military clothing sales, four seasons, and toyland. Sales of jewelry, children's and adult clothing, baby items, housewares, gifts, and toiletries. Other AAFES services and facilities include the the service station, Anthony's Pizza, Subway Sandwiches, Baskin Robbins Ice Cream, Beauty/Barber Shop, Laundry/Dry Cleaners, Alteration Shop, Movie Theater, Video Rental, and coin-operated laundromat, vehicle rental, and new car sales.
What religious services are available locally?
RAF Alconbury Chapel offers regular Protestant and Catholic services, and Jewish services as announced. Synagogues are in Peterborough and Cambridge.
Banking
Maintain your stateside checking account with your normal direct debit. I use the Community Bank on RAF Alconbury, which is currently affiliated with Bank of America. The local British banks can also serve your requirements. When you arrive, you can establish a British Sterling account at the community bank on RAF Alconbury or you can a bank in the local economy. It is only necessary to deposit enough money in the sterling account to pay routine bills and for miscellaneous purchases. There are waiting periods for electronic transfers to overseas accounts, so do not plan on transferring funds from your US bank to the overseas bank overnight. There are also waiting periods for use of funds. The system is advantageous to the bank and you need to be careful of the bank that you choose. You can set up standing payment orders for your rent utilities and television tax. You cannot use the ATM card for your Sterling account anywhere but on the U.S. bases that have a Community Bank. The hours are inconvenient and if it is probably better to use a local Huntington bank.
Schools
Schools vary from district to district, and it is up to you to decide the schooling you desire for your children. The British school system is very good for younger children, and we have all our children attending the local Brampton schools. This works out very well for the children, since most of the children on RAF Brampton also attend locally. The further along in the education system your children are can determine whether you want to keep them in British or move them to the U.S. school. Secondary schooling (12 years to 17 years) can be very specialized and may not prepare American students for American college entrance exams. The 14-year-old age group would be the time to consider fully utilizing the DoD school system.
There is a DoD school located at RAF Alconbury teaching students from kindergarten to 12th grade. You must provide you own transportation. There are also youth programs available through out the year. Our daughter is a member of the Brownies troop and plays soccer there.
British schools are gathered into what are called catchments areas. The district council (located in Cambridge) takes all the registered children and places them according to the available school resources. It is important to place the child on the waiting list for the upcoming school year as soon as possible. Because priority goes to children already enrolled in the school, it may mean your child may not go to the school down the street, but to one across town. The council is required to provide transportation; either hired taxi or bus passes, to those children needing transport.
Correspondence with Brampton schools was easy for us and we had no problem getting our children in classes Brampton Infant and Junior Schools, located about 300 meters from post. The back gate is opened every morning and evening by the guard force for the children to walk or bike to school. This is a very safe and well-traveled route. The school year runs from the first week of September till late July.
POV Information
Shipping your American vehicle to the UK poses no significant problems and will be delivered to RAF Lakenheath. Most US cars need to have the taillights adjusted to EU standards and this can be time consuming since there is usually a waiting list for this procedure. Prices can range from 50-250 dollars depending on how much work need to be done to bring your car into specifications. You can travel on your U.S plates for one month but you should get the car up to specifications as quickly as you can. You will pay UK Road Tax which is based on the size of your vehicle. Gasoline is available on RAF Alconbury and Molesworth, and there are coupons available to use on the local economy. Maintenance for the vehicle can be provided on post, in the local economy or at the self-help center at RAF Alconbury. Check with your insurance company about overseas coverage. My policy with USAA provides excellent coverage and there is no need to adjust the direct debit to my U.S. checking account.
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The location of the house is excellent. It is located in a small sub-division of approximately 15 homes in a quiet area of post away from the main road. The local village elementary schools are very conveniently located 400 meters out the back gate.
