Patriot Express touches down at Ramstein Published Feb. 13, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Trevor Rhynes 86 Airlift Wing Public Affairs RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- A full-time flight mission has begun bringing Department of Defense personnel from the Baltimore-Washington International Airport to here Feb. 7, 2012. The Patriot Express is a new mission used to transport service members, their families and DoD civilians who are being assigned to bases in Germany or heading back to the United States. "The Air Force and the Army requested that passengers coming to and leaving from Germany be transported on Patriot Express missions," said Colonel Glenn Chadwick, the 721 Air Mobility Operations Group deputy commander. "These flights save money, time, and provide better security and accountability for service members as they now go directly to or from a military installation here in Germany." Even though this is the first full-time mission, this isn't a new task for the air mobility group. "This is the first dedicated flight for service members and their families," said Chadwick. "However, Patriot Express flights are flown three times a week through Ramstein on their way to bases in Southwest Asia, so this isn't a new mission for us." The Patriot Express mission is expected to safely transport approximately 19,000 personnel annualy. There are seats available for DoD personnel, however Chadwick said the Air Force and Army are expected to make up the majority of the passengers.