64 years ago the United States and Canada stood up North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) for the air and missile defense of the North American continent.
50 years ago the United States signed the Treaty Between The United States of America and The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on The Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM Treaty).
46 years ago the United States dismantled its only Missile Defense site (Safeguard) allowed by the ABM Treaty for Missile Defense of the Homeland in Nekoma, North Dakota.
43 years ago Governor Ronald Reagan, while running for the US presidency, visited NORAD at Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado with Physicist Edward Teller to inquire about the missile defense of the United States.
39 years ago President Ronald Reagan delivered the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) speech for the missile defense of the United States and its allies.
20 years ago the United States withdrew from the ABM Treaty.
20 years ago US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) was stood up as a Combatant Command to provide command and control of DoD homeland defense efforts and to coordinate defense support of civil authorities. At this time our NORAD partner only supported early missile warning, while NORTHCOM assumed responsibilities for missile defense.
20 years ago the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA) was stood up as an public advocate for the education of the American Public on Missile Defense.
18 years ago Ground-Based Interceptors (GBIs) were installed and made operational as part of Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) in Fort Greely, Alaska, signifying the first time the United States had a missile defense system to protect all 50 states.
9 years ago MDAA held its first NORAD NORTHCOM Missile Warning and Defender of the Year award ceremony.
“Thank you very much, Congressman Lamborn, General VanHerck, just an honor to have you here because it’s winners associating with winners to win and champions. This is room full of champions, and I was taught, we were taught, you treat world champions as world champions. This is a world champion event. This event is about the champions we have in this special place.”
Chairman and Founder, Riki Ellison at the 2022 NORAD and NORTHCOM Missile Warning and Defender of the Year Ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado on May 13th, 2022
At the vortex of Cheyenne Mountain that represents this 64-year mission of air and missile defense for North America and the center for the Missile Defense Command and Missile Defense Warning Command for North America in Colorado Springs, MDAA held its ninth NORAD NORTHCOM Missile Warning and Missile Defender of the Year award ceremony. Representative Doug Lamborn CO-5th District, Commander of USNORTHCOM and NORAD, General Glen VanHerck, Deputy Commander of NORAD, Lieutenant General Alain Pelletier, Director of Operations at NORAD, Major General Patrick Carpentier, Director of Operations at USNORTHCOM, Major General Kevin Huyck, Director of Plans, Policy, and Strategy at NORAD and USNORTHCOM, Rear Admiral Daniel Cheever, Director of Intelligence and Information at NORAD and USNORTHCOM, Brigadier General Parker Wright, Commander of White Sands Missile Range, Brigadier General Eric Little, and SES Director of Requirements, Analysis, and Resources at NORAD and USNORTHCOM, Ms. Ruth Moser were present to bring honor and recognition to their champions of this great mission in the defense of North America.
The 2022 NORAD & USNORTHCOM Missile Warning and Defenders of the Year
This year MDAA presented awards specifically for Intelligence, Missile Warning, Missile Defense, Current Operations, Future Operations, and most prestigious, three Lifetime Achievement awards.
Major General Kevin Huyck
Lifetime Achievement Awardee
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Colonel (Ret) Barry Cardwell
Lifetime Achievement Awardee
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Mr. Scott Gearhart
Lifetime Achievement Awardee
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Staff Sergeant Casey Jones
Intelligence Professional Awardee
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Captain Jacob Switzer
Military Missile Warning Awardee
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Mr. Carlos Cisneros
Civilian Missile Warning Awardee
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Lieutenant Colonel Kenon Thompson
Military Future Operations Awardee
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Mr. Jeff Duncan
Civilian Future Operations Awardee
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Mr. David Boothe
Civilian Current Operations Awardee
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Major Gabe Carr
Missile Defense Officer Awardee
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“We’ve got China and Russia challenging our world order. And we’re not going to beat them with mass and with capacity, we’re going to beat them with people. We’re going to beat them with leadership of excellence of people. We might not be the smartest, we’re American grit, and we’ve done this before and we need to do it again. And you’ve got to figure this out, because we don’t want to go to war. We don’t want to ever do that. And your ability in this command to deter, is a critical element of that, and that comes from the people you surround yourself and the people that are leading yourself to go forward. And it’s not just us, it’s got to be with our allies, with Canada, with our European allies, with everybody to fight for our Western civilization world order. So a little heavy, but I’m excited that we’ve got great leadership here to do that. So thank you for honoring our champions here tonight. Thank you very much.”
Chairman and Founder, Riki Ellison at the 2022 NORAD and NORTHCOM Missile Warning and Defender of the Year Ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado on May 13th, 2022
