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Press Releases
Press Release | Oct. 17, 2014

Exercise focuses NORAD and USNORTHCOM on Homeland Defense

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – The bi-national North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, will conduct exercise VIGILANT SHIELD 15 with components, subordinate commands and task forces beginning Monday, Oct. 20, 2014.

Exercise VIGILANT SHIELD 15 is a yearly homeland defense exercise that provides an opportunity to exercise mission areas and train headquarters staffs, NORAD Regions, and components on assigned missions.

The exercise will be conducted in conjunction with U.S. Strategic Command’s Exercise GLOBAL THUNDER 15 and has been planned for more than a year. It is based on notional scenarios. The timing of the exercise is unrelated to any real-world events.

Elements of the exercise will take place in a variety of geographic locations throughout Canada and the U.S. Approximately 400 paratroopers and multiple vehicles from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division will parachute into the Donnelly drop zone near Fort Greely, Alaska demonstrating their ability to move quickly and efficiently.

About 550 military personnel and over 20 military aircraft will deploy to Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay in Labrador, Canada. This will be the first major deployment for NORAD in over a decade. During the exercise, members of the public may observe military aircraft flying in close proximity to other aircraft over and around CFB Goose Bay.

“This exercise is an outstanding opportunity to improve NORAD and USNORTHCOM operational effectiveness and Canadian and U.S. interoperability, ultimately better preparing ourselves to carry out the commands’ missions,” said Canadian Forces Army Col. James Wall, deputy director of joint training and exercises for NORAD and U.S. Northern Command.

“Exercises and training events like VIGILANT SHIELD are the cornerstone of preparedness which in turn ensures the readiness of our forces should they ever be called upon.”