An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Dec. 14, 2015

NORAD continues the 60-year tradition of tracking Santa

By Master Sgt. Mark Olsen 108th Wing

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. - In 1955, the Cold War was eight years old.

Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were high.

Josef Stalin was dead, Nikita Khrushchev had taken his place, the Warsaw Pact had been created and the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) – NORAD's (North American Aerospace Defense Command) forerunner – had been established with the mission of "defending the United States against air attack." This was all part of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's New Look Policy toward containing the Soviet threat.

At the CONAD operations center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, there was a direct phone line to the center's director of operations. Its purpose: To inform CONAD that United States was at war with the Soviet Union.

In December 1955, the phone rang.

Fortunately for Col. Harry Shoup, the director of operations, the United States had not gone to war with Russia. Instead of the president, it was a little girl in Colorado Springs. The child was following the directions in a Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement printed in a local newspaper.

The ad read: "Hey, Kiddies! Call me direct and be sure and dial the correct number." The number in the advertisement was one digit off and instead of getting the local department store it went directly to CONAD.

The child asked Shoup if he was Santa Claus. Shoup paused, but he recovered and replied, "Yes, I am."

More calls started coming in. Shoup eventually had his Airmen take over telling them to that they now had an additional duty: Whoever answered the phone was Santa Claus.

Sixty years later, the tradition continues.

Beginning Dec. 1, visitors can visit www.noradsanta.org. The website features a mobile version, a holiday countdown, new games, daily activities and is available in eight languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese.

Official NORAD Tracks Santa apps are available in the Windows, Apple and Google Play stores, so parents and children can count down the days until Santa’s launch on their smart phones and tablets.

Tracking opportunities are also offered on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google. Santa followers can go to any of these sites and search for @noradsanta to get started.

On Dec. 24, the website will be on duty as Santa Claus makes his way around the world.

Starting at 12:01 a.m. MST on Dec. 24, website visitors can watch Santa make preparations for his flight. NORAD's Santa Cams will stream videos as Santa makes his way around the world delivering presents.

At 4 a.m. Mountain Standard Time – 6 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, trackers worldwide can speak with a phone operator to inquire as to Santa's whereabouts by dialing the toll-free number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) or by sending an email to noradtrackssanta@outlook.com.

Now the most important part is making sure you are on Santa's "Nice" list.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Laura Clellan, The Adjutant General of Colorado, and Lt. Gen. Thomas Süssli, chief of the Swiss Armed Forces, at the signing of the Letter of Intent for the new National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program partnership between Switzerland and Colorado. (Photo Courtesy U.S. Embassy Bern)
Colorado Guard, Switzerland Become Partners in Program
By Colorado National Guard | Sept. 15, 2025
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – The Swiss Confederation and Colorado National Guard have officially become state partners under the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program or SPP.A signing ceremony with...

Spc. Brianna Coombs, 237th Military Police Company, New Hampshire Army National Guard, stands in formation during a departure ceremony held Oct. 3, 2022, at the Edward Cross Training Complex in Pembroke, New Hampshire. About 170 Soldiers are mobilizing for a year to the U.S.-Mexico border to assist Customs and Border Protection in surveilling and detecting illegal immigrant crossings.
Army Updates Standards for Appearance, Grooming, Uniform Wear in New Directive
By U.S. Army Public Affairs | Sept. 15, 2025
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army announced an update to its appearance, grooming, and uniform wear standards policy in a new directive resulting from a force-wide review of military standards. The updated policy clarifies existing...

Kansas Army National Guard Soldiers conduct medical training with Soldiers from the Republic of Armenia during Exercise Eagle Partner 2025 in August. Eagle Partner 2025, which aims to enhance interoperability for international peacekeeping missions, exchange best practices in control and communication, and improve the readiness of the Armenian Armed Forces' peacekeeping unit, is a U.S. Army Europe and Africa training event involving Soldiers from USAREUR-AF, the Kansas National Guard, and the Ministry of Defense for the Republic of Armenia.
Kansas Guard Joins Armenian Partners for Eagle Partner 2025
By Lt. Col. Kevin Kennedy, | Sept. 15, 2025
YEREVAN, ARMENIA — Building on more than 20 years of cooperation through the Department of War National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, Soldiers and Airmen of the Kansas National Guard joined U.S. Army Europe and...