PORTLAND, Oregon - The Oregon Air National Guard will be on high alert Christmas Eve as Airmen work closely with the United States Air Force and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to monitor the skies and track the annual flight of Santa Claus.
According to Col. Paul T. Fitzgerald, 142nd Fighter Wing commander, "It is not uncommon for our pilots to fly alongside Saint Nick in the skies this time of year. He expects to see us and the reindeer have become quite accustomed to flying in formation with our F-15s."
"Year after year, we receive reports on Christmas Eve from the Western Air Defense Sector at McChord Air Force Base, in Washington," said Capt. Angela Walz, spokeswoman for the Portland Air National Guard Base. "They report high-speed radar returns from their defense network radar systems. Because our F-15 aircrews are on continuous alert, they may be ordered to intercept and investigate anything that can't be positively identified on radar."
For more than 65 years, the Oregon Air National Guard's mission in Portland has been to provide around-the-clock air defense of the Pacific Northwest. The Oregon National Guard is also prepared to respond to state and local emergency contingencies under command of the governor.
On Dec. 24, visitors to www.noradsanta.gov can watch Santa make preparations for his flight. NORAD's "Santa Cams" will stream videos on the website as Santa makes his way. Trackers worldwide can also speak with a live 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.
Official NORAD Tracks Santa apps are also available in the Windows, Apple and Google Play stores, so parents and children can countdown 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 just need to type "@noradsanta" into each search engine to get started.
Any time on Dec. 24, Windows Phone users can ask Cortana for Santa's location, and OnStar subscribers can press the OnStar button in their vehicles to locate Santa.