- Title: WEST GERMANY: U.S. AIRMEN FLOWN IN FOR EXERCISES NEAR CZECH BORDER.
- Date: 8th January 1969
- Summary: STARLIFTER ON TARMAC; ACTIVITY AROUND AIRCRAFT' COLONEL MELTON AT MICROPHONE; COLONEL MELTON RECEIVES PLAQUE; AIRMEN LEAVE 'PLANE, BOARD BUSES; BUSES MOVE AWAY. Initials LH/V/PW/OS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd January 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WEST GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA6GBRAR6IQ9RYIHCWFBATQUHSK
- Story Text: THE FIRST OF 3,500 AMERICAN AIRMEN TODAY (WEDNESDAY) ARRIVED AT BITBURG AIRPORT, WEST GERMANY, FOR MANOEUVRES WHICH HAVE SEEN BROUGHT FORWARD FOLLOWING THE SOVIET INTERVENTION IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA. THE AIR FORCE PERSONNEL - WITH 96 PHANTOM AIRCRAFT ARE BEING FLOWN ACROSS THE ATLANTIC TO BAVARIA WHERE THEY'LL TAKE PART IN THE EXERCISES ONLY 30 MILES (50 KMS) FROM THE CZECH BORDER.
THE AIRMEN WILL JOIN 12,000 TROOPS BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF JANUARY. THE WEEK-LONG EXERCISES START ON JANUARY 29 AT THE GRAFENWOEHR TRAINING AREA.
ORIGINALLY EXPECTED TO BE HELD NEXT SUMMER OR AUTUMN, THE MANOEUVRES ARE SEEN AS A DEMONSTRATION OF UNITED STATES BACKING FOR EUROPEAN DEFENCE IN THE FACE OF WHAT IS REGARDED AS THE INCREASED THREAT PRESENTED BY THE PRESENCE OF SOVIET AND OTHER WARSAW PACT FORCES CZECHOSLOVAKIA.
THE U.S. AIR FORCE HAVE CALLED THEIR EXERCISE CRESTED CAP 1. THE MEN HAVE COME TO EUROPE FROM THREE DIFFERENT COMMANDS IN THE BIGGEST OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT OF A FLEET OF AIR FORCE TACTICAL FIGHTER JETS FOR A PEACETIME EXERCISE. THE PHANTOM AIRCRAFT WERE RELOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES LAST SUMMER UNDER A DUAL-BASE SYSTEM. NOW, ONE ENTIRE WING - CONSISTING OF THREE SQUADRONS, AND A FOURTH FIGHTER SQUADRON IN A DIFFERENT WING ARE RETURNING TO ALTERNATE BASES IN WEST GERMANY.
ON BEHALF OF THE FIRST ADVANCE GROUP OF AIRMEN, COLONEL MELTON RECEIVED A PLAQUE FROM WEST GERMAN OFFICIALS AT THE AIRPORT.
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