BRUNSWICK -- The first patrol plane in the first squadron to permanently depart Brunswick Naval Air Station took off this morning, marking the start of a yearlong aircraft exodus in advance of the closing of New England's last active-duty military airfield.

Cmdr. Eric Wiese, the commanding officer of Patrol Squadron 8, piloted the P-3 Orion today as part of his unit's seven-month deployment in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The squadron's six other planes are poised to leave during the coming week.

When the unit returns from overseas, it will fly to its new home at Florida's Jacksonville Naval Air Station, rather than return to Brunswick.

Brunswick's four remaining squadrons will leave by next December, with the 3,000-acre base due to be completely closed in 2011 in accordance with a 2005 vote by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.

File photo
The first of five squadrons of P-3 Orions has begun
relocating from Brunswick Naval Air Station to Florida's
Jacksonville Naval Air Station.