PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — North American Aerospace Defense Command is seeking general-public entries for its essay contest and airplane model contest which are being conducted in celebration of the command’s 50th Anniversary. Both contests are open to any U.S. or Canadian citizen currently residing in the Continental United States or Canada. Final entries are due by April 22.
Winners of each contest will have an opportunity to attend the Golden Jubilee Ball, which will be held May 12 in Colorado Springs, Colo., and tour NORAD facilities at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colo. The winning essay will be printed in a souvenir booklet and presented at the Jubilee Ball. The winning airplane model will be photographed and printed in the souvenir booklet.
If the writer or model-maker is under 18 years old, the entry must be sponsored by a parent or guardian. The sponsor must review and approve the entry before it is submitted, and affirm the youth conducted the research and writing for the essay or created the airplane model on his or her own.
The essay contest will focus on stories individuals want to share about NORAD and describe what the command means to them. Contestants will be asked to identify one of the following themes as the focus of their essays:
• People – NORAD is successful because of the men and women who serve.
• Partners – NORAD is a proud part of a network of organizations.
• Canada-U.S. Relations – NORAD is a unique bi-national institution.
• Mission Evolution – NORAD is as valid today as it was 50 years ago.
• Modernization – NORAD uses its financial resources wisely and leverages new technologies.
Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, one-side only and no more than 150 words. The 150-word limit excludes the title page, and all pages should be numbered in the lower right-hand corner and include the writer’s name in the footnote. Essays should be submitted to NORAD Public Affairs. Electronic submission should be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format and e-mailed as an attachment to: NORAD50@norad.mil, with subject line noted as NORAD 50TH ESSAY CONTEST. Hard copy submissions should be faxed to (719) 554-3165.
Airplane model contestants are asked to submit a paper model of U.S. or Canadian NORAD aircraft. The models must be made out of paper or cardstock. A variety of options are available for those who want to participate. The contestants can design or create their own models, visit NORAD’s downloads page for available models to use, or visit a paper-modeling website for models that can be downloaded.
Submissions should be sent, along with a cover letter and signature, to NORAD 50th Anniversary Team, NORAD Public Affairs, 250 Vandenberg St, Ste. B016, Peterson AFB, CO 80914, USA.
For more details about the contest requirements, essay format or airplane model criteria, visit the NORAD 50th Anniversary Contests page and view information noted in the Public Contest section, or call NORAD Public Affairs at (719) 554-6889.
The NORAD 50th Anniversary celebration is an occasion to reflect on the history of the command, honor the strong bi-national relationship between Canada and the United States, pay tribute to the valor of the men and women who serve, and to recognize the command’s evolution in response to new and changing threats to North America.