The Snowmen of RAFL

  • Published
  • By Col. Cassie Barlow
  • 48th Mission Support Group commander
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  It is beginning to look a lot like winter ... at RAF Lakenheath.  The children and families of the base clearly enjoyed their first snow day of the year by taking to the front yard and building their versions of Frosty and Crystal.  As a native of Buffalo, N.Y., I have many fond memories of winter fun from my childhood.  I remember building forts and snowmen and having many snowball fights. What a great time of year!

It is also a time of year where safety becomes very important. Whether we're walking on icy streets or driving on snow-packed roads, we need to be thinking about safety.

Driving in the snow and ice is always a challenge.  The trick to getting to your destination in one piece is to slow down ... a lot.  It is always a good idea to have a winter kit in your car that includes blankets, gloves, an ice-scraper and other winter essentials.  Make sure your vehicle is ready for the winter by ensuring you have all season tires installed and vehicle fluids are filled.

Being a good neighbor during the winter is no less important than during the summer. Clearing snow and ice from your sidewalks certainly ensures we minimize hazards for children and families walking through your neighborhood.

Last but not least, winter weather sometimes brings school and work delays.  Ministry of Defence personnel and contractors are expected to exercise common sense and a requisite amount of caution when considering their daily travel to and from their place of work.  The base will use the following road condition scheme to relay local conditions to the base populace.  The mission-essential determination will always be made by your group and squadron commander, so you should listen carefully to the recall message relayed when we are in red or black road conditions.

If you aren't already aware, the road condition designations are as follows:

Green: Unrestricted. Ideal road, visibility and temperature conditions exist.
Yellow: Caution, but no restrictions. Road surface is wet and slushy, visibility is restricted and/or temperatures are low.
Red: Mission-essential and emergency vehicles only - two-hour delayed reporting for all others (school and work). Road surface is hazardous, visibility is severely restricted and/or temperatures are very low.
Black: Road and school closures.  Mission-essential and emergency vehicles only.  Road surface is very hazardous, visibility is extremely restricted and/or temperatures are extremely low.

All current road conditions will be posted at the gates, the RAFL public Web site at http://www.lakenheath.af.mil and the weather line at DSN 226-3541 or commercial 01638 52 3541.  If condition Red is called, a Type 4 information recall will be initiated to announce two-hour delayed reporting for both DoDDS and non-mission essential DoD active duty and civilian personnel.  Road condition Black will also be disseminated via a Type 4 recall.  A second recall will be initiated once a time is determined to open roads and schools.  Commanders and directors can direct a recall or delayed reporting at their discretion based on mission needs.

For current road conditions and to check the status of school delays or closures, the first option should always be to access the RAF Lakenheath public access website or the weather line.