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 Air Force F-16s supporting the North American Aerospace Defense Command were seen and heard over the greater Salt Lake City area throughout the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Fighting Falcons from the 388th FW at Utah’s Hill AFB were the focal point of NORAD’s combat air patrol sorties with other fighter, surveillance, and ground radar units supporting the Olympic air defense mission. “This is a wartime mission for us,” said Col. Steve Hoog, 388th FW commander, who flew combat air patrols during the games. “We’re performing a mission we never thought we would be doing before 11 September, but it’s a mission we’re taking very seriously.”
NORAD is charged with the overall responsibility of maintaining air sovereignty over the continental United States, Alaska, and Canada. Since the 11 September terrorist attacks, NORAD has significantly increased readiness with more than 100 additional fighters available at about thirty locations throughout the country to respond to threats and requests for assistance from the FAA, US Customs Service, and the Secret Service. NORAD flies random combat air patrol sorties over major metropolitan areas and continuous patrols over New York City and Washington, DC.
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