Sept. 5, 2006

U.S. Northern Command, NORAD support Atlantis shuttle mission

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - United States Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command provide support to NASA and the shuttle program’s mission with distinctly different but important missions.NORAD — the bi-national command responsible for air defense of North American airspace — is ensuring airspace safety and security

Sept. 5, 2006

DoD supports Atlantis shuttle mission

U.S. Northern Command is the focal point for military emergency support to the Space Shuttle. Support includes astronaut rescue and recovery and orbiter recovery. USNORTHCOM, established in 2002 and fully operational Sept. 11, 2003, coordinates U.S. military support for the Department of Defense efforts to assist the Space Shuttle astronauts in the

Sept. 2, 2006

Firefighting mission ends for Army’s Task Force Blaze

Task Force Blaze will return home Sunday afternoon to Fort Lewis, Wash., following a three-week deployment to fight wildfires in North Central Washington.The military worked side-by-side with civilian firefighters since mid August, filling a crucial need for ground crews. The last time a military battalion was used to fight wildfires was in 2003 in

Aug. 31, 2006

USNORTHCOM hosts senior Air Force leader

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Sometimes, to get to know someone better, you just have to meet face-to-face. This week, the Air Force general in charge of an organization that provides critical information to U.S. Northern Command's homeland defense and civil support missions came to Colorado to get to know USNORTHCOM better.Lt. Gen. Robert J.

Aug. 30, 2006

Soldiers Battle Wildfires

PFC Luke Schneider of the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, is one of 550 Soldiers from Fort Lewis, Wash., helping civilian firefighters fight blazes in Washington state. SPC Abel TrevinoSoldiers from Fort Lewis, Wash., are helping protect nearly 500 homes and other structures in Washington state as the Cedar Creek Fire burns near the town of

Aug. 29, 2006

USNORTHCOM prepared to support Ernesto operations

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Ernesto’s progress and is prepared to respond to requests for support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a result of this storm.Senior USNORTHCOM officials are coordinating with FEMA, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and

Aug. 29, 2006

From Falluja to forest fires: AAFES goes where the troops go

DALLAS – True to its motto, “We go where you go,” the Army and Air Force Exchange Service has mobilized its next-generation Tactical Field Exchange (TFE) in support of some 550 active-duty Soldiers helping control wildfires burning across Washington’s Okanogan and Wenatchee national forests. “AAFES has pulled off another superb operation in record

Aug. 28, 2006

USNORTHCOM takes action following Hurricane Katrina

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – When Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast one year ago, U.S. Northern Command responded by supporting civil authorities with the insertion of tens of thousands of military personnel, search and rescue missions, humanitarian operations and delivery of water, food, ice and first aid supplies.Building on

Aug. 25, 2006

USNORTHCOM hosts work group for pandemic influenza planning

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – As more and more birds carry avian influenza to new areas of the globe, planning for a potential global pandemic continues to build at hundreds of federal, state and local agencies. Pressure is increasing for these agencies to develop comprehensive operations should pandemic flu strike.How does a multitude of

Aug. 24, 2006

U.S. Army North supports wildfire fighting efforts

When all the nation’s wildland firefighting ground crews have been committed, the National Interagency Fire Center turns to the military.This year, the Army got the call, and U.S. Army North deployed a small element of personnel to NIFC in Boise, Idaho, to help manage military ground support. The mission of the command’s Defense Coordinating

Aug. 24, 2006

Agriculture secretary thanks firefighting Soldiers

BOISE, Idaho – Soldiers battling the 125,000 acre fire near Winthrop, Wash., received recognition Aug. 22 from Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.The secretary praised the efforts of Task Force Blaze, a 550-Soldier battalion from Fort Lewis, Wash., that has been fighting the fire since Aug. 17. “I just want to say to the Soldiers how much we

Aug. 19, 2006

Soldiers put fire training into action

Soldiers from Fort Lewis, Wash., assigned to Task Force Blaze put their wildland firefighting training into action for the first time Aug. 19 by taking on the wildfires burning in the state of Washington.Following three days of classroom and field instruction from experienced wildland firefighters, the Soldiers were ready to face the flames.“Guys

Aug. 19, 2006

USNORTHCOM-NORAD seminar focuses on shoulder-launched missile threat to aircraft

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – The United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command sponsored a scenario-driven seminar Aug. 15 to further remedy the potential threat posed to aircraft by terrorists with shoulder-launched missiles. More than 100 air security experts from 20 government and private entities discussed the

Aug. 17, 2006

Fort Lewis Soldiers prepared to fight Washington fire

Soldiers from Fort Lewis, Wash., assigned to Task Force Blaze completed two days of intensive, hands-on training Aug. 16 to help fight wildland forest fires.The National Interagency Fire Center brought in professional wildland firefighters from across the country to train Soldiers on the fundamentals of controlling forest fires.The Soldiers learned

Aug. 17, 2006

JTF-CS hones response with exercise challenges

FORT MONROE, Va. – The scenario could be one of your darkest nightmares: a madman driven by an anti-American zealotry has shattered the peace of a major U.S. city. His weapon of choice? An aerosolized form of Y. Pestis bacteria, better known in medieval times as plague, and he has let it loose on America. Welcome to Sudden Response 2006.At Fort