Korbel Students Visit North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) Headquarters

On Friday, May 15, 2015, 24 Korbel students enrolled in Dr. Ben Gochman's graduate course, INTS 4989: North American Defense and Security visited North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) Headquarters at Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

NORAD conducts aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning in the defense of North America. USNORTHCOM partners to conduct homeland defense, civil support and security cooperation to defend and secure the United States and its interests.

The highlight of the visit included roundtable discussions with Admiral Bill Gortney, Commander, NORAD and USNORTHCOM (4-Star Navy Admiral) and LGEN Alain Parent, NORAD Deputy Commander (3-Star Canadian General) on the future of North American Defense and Security relationship with Canada and Mexico. Other topics discussed included Ballistic Missile Defense, Threats to the Homeland, Transnational Criminal Organizations, and Homegrown Violent Extremism.

In addition, students received the Bi-Command Brief focusing on the missions of NORAD and USNORTHCOM and N-NC/J2 Threat Brief on Mexican Transnational Criminal Organizations. Tjos was followed by briefings on SEMAR (Mexican Navy) and SEDENA (Mexican Army and Air Force) from CAPT Martinez and Col Ayala, the SEMAR and SEDENA Foreign Liaison Officers to USNORTHCOM. The visit concluded with a Law Enforcement Panel Discussion with Mr. Bill Brundage, Senior Department of Homeland Security Representative to USNORTHCOM and the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and Air and Marine Operations Center (AMOC) Liaison Officers to USNORTHCOM.