A lot has gone on in the last couple of weeks around NORAD and USNORTHCOM.  We have been tracking the progress of H1N1 very closely, and stand ready to support the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security should they request military support in response to an outbreak.

Our planners have been working closely with our interagency partners to make sure that, should our assistance be requested by the Department of Homeland Security and approved by the Secretary of Defense, we will be ready to provide whatever services we can while maintaining the health of our forces who stand ready to defend this nation.

In other areas, it was my honor and privilege to present the first NORAD and USNORTHCOM Community Leader Commendation to Mr. William J. Hybl, Chairman and CEO, El Pomar Foundation, and Mr. William B. Tutt, Chairman of the Colorado Thirty Group April 21.  These outstanding members of our community have worked tirelessly to support our military members here in Colorado Springs.  These two not only deserved the recognition, but are part of the reason Colorado Springs is such a wonderful place for our service members to be stationed.

I also had the opportunity to host 20 national and international influential civilian opinion-makers throughout the United States and Canada on the annual NORAD and USNORTHCOM Civic Leader Tour. Tour attendees gained first-hand experience about the roles NORAD and USNORTHCOM have in homeland defense by visiting specific locations. The trip started at Peterson AFB, Colo., before heading to Jacksonville, Fla. to visit USCG Sector Jacksonville, where our civic leaders saw demonstrations on port security.  Additionally, we visited our Joint Task Force Civil Support, Fort Monroe, Va.; United States Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va.;  a Chemical Biological Incident Response Force in Indian Head, Md.; and our Northeast Air Defense Sector, Rome, N.Y.

I also recently traveled to Canada to participate in a border alliance Conference. It was an excellent opportunity to talk with my counterpart at Canada Command and I was able to sit down with Tom Clark at CTV and talk a bit about NORAD’s Air Sovereignty mission and the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver.  Below is a transcript of the interview and a link to the video.

Finally, I would like to welcome aboard our new Command Chief, Chief Master Sergeant W. Allen Usry, who holds the distinction of being the first ever Air National Guard command chief master sergeant to be selected as a Command Senior Enlisted Advisor for a combatant command.  I am certain that the experience and dedication he brings to the battlefield will further advance the professionalism and competence of the NORAD and USNORTHCOM team.

Cheers,

Gene