NORAD, US NORTHCOM Leaders Visit WADS
By Kimberly Burke
Western Air Defense Sector
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and Chief Master Sgt. John Storms, NORAD and USNORTHCOM Command senior enlisted leader, visited the Western Air Defense Sector Nov. 18 and stressed to the WADS team the importance of the homeland defense mission.
They toured the new WADS Agile Operations Center and Mission Training Center. Members of the 225th Air Defense Squadron described how each of the Agile Operations Center sections execute the Operation Noble Eagle mission of defending North America’s skies 24/7.
WADS highlighted ongoing initiatives to enhance homeland defense agility in U.S.-Canada partner integration, increasing domain awareness by integrating with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army, exercising agile combat employment and cruise missile defense scenarios and identifying opportunities for technological advancement, including cloud-based command and control and Maven integration.
Guillot also recognized three individuals for their outstanding contributions to WADS.
First Lt. Troy Motoyama, 225th Support Squadron flight commander, was integral to reinforcing Washington state’s relations in the Indo-Pacific when he organized the State Partnership Program semiannual Command and Control Interoperability Board Conference with the Royal Thai Air Force. The conference enabled key partner discussions on communications security, tactical data links and the F-16 program in Thailand.
Royal Canadian Air Force Sgt. Anthony Lewis, 225th Air Defense Squadron air surveillance technician, acquired his instructor certification and used his experience and knowledge to train new surveillance technicians and ASTs to execute the NORAD Operation Noble Eagle mission.
Staff Sgt. Ezra Young, 225th Air Defense Squadron AST, supported operations training, examination and high headquarters evaluations during an exceptionally high operations tempo while still working Operation Noble Eagle live operations.
The Western Air Defense Sector is staffed by members of the Washington Air National Guard, Royal Canadian Air Force, U.S. Navy and federal civilians. WADS supports the NORAD integrated warning and attack assessment missions and the USNORTHCOM homeland defense mission. WADS is responsible for air sovereignty and counter-air operations over the Western United States and directs a variety of assets to defend 2.2 million square miles of land and sea west of the Mississippi River.