NORAD Commander and Command Senior Enlisted Leader visit the Western Air Defense Sector

Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, NORAD and USNORTHCOM, are given an overview of the operations floor in the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) by Capt. Jason Allenton at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, May 3, 2022. WADS is one of two sectors responsible to the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and NORAD for peacetime air sovereignty, strategic air defense, and airborne counterdrug operations in the continental United States and plays a vital part in homeland defense. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Kimberly D. Burke)

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NORAD Commander and Command Senior Enlisted Leader visit the Western Air Defense Sector

Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield, are given an overview of the operations floor in the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) by Capt. Brian Villanueva at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, May 3, 2022. WADS is one of two sectors responsible to the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and NORAD for peacetime air sovereignty, strategic air defense, and airborne counterdrug operations in the continental United States and plays a vital part in homeland defense. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Kimberly D. Burke)

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NORAD Commander and Command Senior Enlisted Leader visit the Western Air Defense Sector

Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, NORAD and USNORTHCOM, formally recognized superior performers in the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, May 3, 2022. Master Sgt. Mark Keene was highlighted for outstanding achievement in performance of his duties at WADS and in the community. WADS is one of two sectors responsible to the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and NORAD for peacetime air sovereignty, strategic air defense, and airborne counterdrug operations in the continental United States and plays a vital part in homeland defense. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Kimberly D. Burke)

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NORAD Commander and Command Senior Enlisted Leader visit the Western Air Defense Sector

Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, NORAD and USNORTHCOM, formally recognized superior performers in the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, May 3, 2022. Tech Sgt. Sharmaine Pope, 225th Air Defense Squadron assistant superintendent of current operations was coined for her efforts for the successfully leading the tasking and execution of 49 internal crew exercises, 24 continuation training exercises, 147 practice scrambles, 17 high headquarters exercises, 44 tactical training events, 25 Joint Air Defense Operations Center distributed mission operations events, and 18 real world mission events. WADS is one of two sectors responsible to the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and NORAD for peacetime air sovereignty, strategic air defense, and airborne counterdrug operations in the continental United States and plays a vital part in homeland defense. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Kimberly D. Burke)

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NORAD Commander and Command Senior Enlisted Leader visit the Western Air Defense Sector

Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, NORAD and USNORTHCOM pose for a group photo at the Western Air Defense Sector at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, May 3, 2022. WADS is one of two sectors responsible to the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and NORAD for peacetime air sovereignty, strategic air defense, and airborne counterdrug operations in the continental United States and plays a vital part in homeland defense. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Kimberly D. Burke)

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NORAD Commander and Command Senior Enlisted Leader visit the Western Air Defense Sector

Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, is welcomed to the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) by Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, The Adjutant General-Washington National Guard, and Col. Scott Humphrey, Commander, WADS, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, May 3, 2022. WADS is one of two sectors responsible to the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and NORAD for peacetime air sovereignty, strategic air defense, and airborne counterdrug operations in the continental United States and plays a vital part in homeland defense. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Kimberly D. Burke)

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NORAD Commander and Command Senior Enlisted Leader visit the Western Air Defense Sector

Published May 16, 2022
By Kimberly D. Burke
Western Air Defense Sector

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --

U.S. Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield, NORAD and USNORTHCOM Command Senior Enlisted Leader, visited the Western Air Defense Sector on May 3, 2022, and stressed to the WADS team the importance of their mission. During their visit, they met with U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, The Adjutant General-Washington National Guard, WADS senior leadership, and Airmen working on the operations floor.

While touring the WADS operations floor, VanHerck let the WADS team know that, “The mission you do, I can’t tell you how important it is…defending the most senior leaders, our continuity of government, and defending the homeland….there is probably no mission nobler than getting up everyday and defending your homeland.”

Even though VanHerck’s visit was on a compressed schedule, members of the 225^th Air Defense Squadron had the opportunity to give overviews of how each of the operations floor sections execute the Operation Noble Eagle mission of defending North America’s skies.

At the end of his visit, VanHerck’s expressed how important the WADS innovation team has been in working on solutions that are needed to solve critical problems in the DoD. As a result of this effort, the 225^th Air Defense Squadron battle control center spark cell is the Air National Guard’s nominee for the Air Force 2021 General Larry O. Spencer Innovation Award. This award recognizes the individual and/or team who demonstrates innovation in cost and manpower savings to improve efficiency, operational readiness and replication of the innovation across the Air Force enterprise.