Base aérienne 204 Mérignac-Beauséjour

Base aérienne 204 Mérignac-Beauséjour (BA 204) is a French Air Force base located in Mérignac, Gironde. The French Air Force established a presence in Mérignac in February 1945 at the Beauséjour site, taking over former Peugeot automobile factories. The air base itself was officially created as Détachement air 204 Mérignac-Beauséjour on July 1, 1964. It notably hosted the Air Force Nurses Training Center n° 748, which was renamed School of Air Force Nurses n° 748 (EIAA 748) in 1978 before its dissolution in 1990. In January 1992, BA 204 was dissolved, and the Air Force Repair Workshop 623 (ARAA 623) was attached to Air Base 106 Bordeaux-Mérignac. In 1998, Détachement air 90.106 was created, taking the name Détachement air 204 (DA 204) in 2000. In January 2022, DA 204 was reactivated as a full air base. The base specializes in the manufacturing, maintenance, and repair of mechanical parts made from various materials, including metals, wood, and plastics, serving all branches of the French Armed Forces. It employs approximately 500 personnel, half of whom are civilians. The ARAA 623 holds ISO 9001 certification for its quality management system. In 2024, the base was named after 'Commandant Caroline Aigle'. The unit is the custodian of the flag of the 51st Aero-station Half-Brigade.