| | Thursday September 9, 2010 |
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| Holloman personnel prepare for Operation Assist Santa |
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Santa Claus will have some special escorts as he makes his way through New Mexico Christmas Eve thanks to a volunteer Team Holloman effort dubbed "Operation Assist Santa." 24-12-2009 - HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Aircraft from the 49th Fighter Wing will serve the jolly old elf in a number of ways to ensure he delivers his cargo safely, on-time and on-target.
"We are Santa‟s favorite wing. All the aircraft tails assigned to the 49th Fighter Wing are marked 'HO'. From the moment Santa and his reindeer take off, you can hear him calling for our escort ... HO, HO, HO," said Col. Michael Stapleton, 49th Fighter Wing operations group commander.
The F-22 Raptor will serve as an escort, or wingman, while the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper will provide Santa with "special intelligence" through naughty and nice sensors and sleep detectors installed on the two aircraft. The remotely piloted aircraft will also ensure Santa has safe landing zones in the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountain areas.
"The details of the mission are classified at this time as is the route. However, I can tell you we have done special training to make sure Santa and his reindeer are as safe as possible during their flight and ground operations," said Maj. Fred Atwater with the 29th Attack Squadron, who flies the MQ-9.
All of the members of Team Holloman taking part in "Operation Assist Santa" have volunteered their time both during the important training required to complete the mission and during the operations Christmas Eve.
The "special" mission will serve as a thank you to the residents of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains who have supported Team Holloman during 2009. In addition, the mission will serve as a reminder of what 2010 will bring.
"With the tremendous amount of support we've received over the past year from the residents of the area, we wanted to ensure this special visitor completes his mission on time and on target," Colonel Stapleton said. "As everyone knows it is always a good idea to have a wingman when you‟re out there performing a mission."
According to a press release from the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA chief Randy Babbitt braved snow, ice and foggy conditions at North Pole International Airport to give Santa and his sleigh a thumbs-up for the jolly old pilot‟s traditional round-the-world Christmas Eve mission.
During a 90-minute check ride, Administrator Babbitt made sure Santa can properly execute the demanding maneuvers and precision rooftop landings inherent in making toy deliveries. He also checked that the sleigh's de-icing equipment, reindeer propulsion system and communications and navigation systems are working properly. In addition, the Administrator verified Santa has policies in place to guarantee he and his elves will have a proper rest period before the long, all-night mission.
In addition to Holloman's support, Santa will be tracked by NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) not only for his security, but to ensure that no enemy of the United State will pose as Santa Claus and cause us harm.
You can follow Santa's progress on NORAD radar at www.noradsanta.com.
Source: af.mil
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