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CNN Live Saturday

World Watches as Surveillance Crew Prepares for Flight Home

Aired April 14, 2001 - 12:36   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: At U.S. military installations around the world, the roar of jet engines is affectionately called the sound of freedom. That will be especially meaningful with the noisy arrival later today of a jetliner at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington. Onboard will be the freed crew of the Navy EP-3 -- 21 men, three women -- who spent 11 days in Chinese detention.

CNN's national correspondent Mike Boettcher is at the Naval Air Station for what's shaping up to be a huge blowout for the returning crew -- Mike.

MIKE BOETTCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Donna. You know, the name of the squadron here is BQ1. The 24 people coming back here belong to that squadron.

Their nickname is World Watcher. So the tables will be turned on them today. The world will be watching them as they step off the plane.

Let's give you a rundown of what's going to happen here. They're expecting approximately 10,000 people. When the plane arrives, they will come off the plane one by one. Each crew member will be allowed to greet his family. Then the next one will come off. That process should take about 20 minutes.

And then this entire crowd will move into a hangar next to us. There is a 40-foot-by-60-foot American flag in there, seating for 1,000 people. So you're going to have another 9,000 or so standing up around the hangar and outside.

There are red, white, and blue balloons all over that hangar. And it should be quite a ceremony.

The Washington State Congressional Delegation will be there, as well as Governor Gary Locke of Washington. And various military brass will be greeting the 24 crewmen as they come back.

After that, it's back to normal. They have a 30-day convalescent leave. And the chaplains and counselors on the base have talked to the families and said the best way for reentry is to try to get back to normal processes like mowing the lawn, paying the bills, and maybe even trying to do the taxes before Monday. So after this ceremony, they will try to reenter back into the world after becoming the focus of the world for the past almost two weeks, Donna. KELLEY: Mike Boettcher, thanks very much. We'll see you again shortly as well.

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