KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — NORAD is celebrating its 70th anniversary by continuing its beloved tradition of tracking Santa Claus, a mission that began with a misdialed phone call in 1955.
Every year, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) provides a tracker for children to watch where Santa is along his Christmas Eve delivery route. Major General Michael Simmering shared how this unique operation has evolved over the decades, engaging more than a tousand volunteers and leveraging advanced technology to bring holiday cheer to children worldwide.
“It is a big job, but We are watching the skies over America and Canada 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We use a combination of radars, satellites, fighter jets, just to keep an eye on what’s going on to protect everyone out there,” Simmering said. “We use that same equipment, quite honestly, one day out of the year, we get a very special aviator going through our airspace, and we use that same equipment to track him. So it kind of works out for everybody.”…