When did France return to NATO’s integrated military command?

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Flag of NATO featuring a white compass rose emblem with four lines radiating from the center on a blue background. — North Atlantic Treaty Organization Flag of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

France rejoined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s integrated military command structure in 2009.12

This followed a period of separation that began in July 1966, when then-President Charles de Gaulle formally withdrew French forces from the alliance's military command structure due to concerns regarding national sovereignty and the influence of the United States within the organization. Despite this withdrawal, France remained a political member of the alliance throughout the intervening decades.132