BASE; AIRMEN BOARDING AIRCRAFT AND TAKING OFF.




Initials GEM/V/MR/JG



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: SIX SQUADRONS OF F.102 RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT HAVE STARTED THEIR WITHDRAWAL FROM THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BASE AT LAON, NORTH OF PARIS.

THE AIRMEN AND THEIR MACHINES FLEW TO UPPER HEYFORD IN ENGLAND, WHERE THEY WILL NOW BE BASED. MORE THAN 5,000 AMERICAN SERVICEMEN AND 7,000 MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES WILL EVENTUALLY BE MOVED FROM LAON. ANOTHER 900 FRENCH PEOPLE WHO WORKED AT THE BASE THERE WILL ALSO BE AFFECTED.

THE F.102 AIRCRAFT ARE PART OF THE 66TH TACTICAL RECONNAISSANCE WING, WHICH HAS BEEN PART OF AMERICA'S NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION FORCE IN EUROPE SINCE 1953, FIRST IN WEST GERMANY AND THEN AT LAON.

NOW THE AIRCRAFT AND THE MEN WHO FLY AND MAINTAIN THEM HAVE HAD TO MOVE AGAIN FOLLOWING GENERAL DE GAULLE'S DECISION TO WITHDRAW FRANCE FROM THE INTEGRATED MILITARY COMMAND OF NATO. HE ALSO ORDERED ALL FOREIGN MILITARY ESTABLISHMENTS OUR OF FRANCE.