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NORAD marks 50 years in May

The North American Aerospace Defense Command — better known as NORAD — will celebrate its 50th anniversary in May.

Since May 12, 1958, the U.S. and Canada air forces have worked together to guard North American airspace. Although NORAD originally stood up on Sept. 12, 1957, at Ent Air Force Base, Colo., the alliance didn’t become official until 1958.

NORAD continues to evolve since the command received heavy criticism for its response to the terrorist attacks of hijacked American passenger jets on Sept. 11, 2001.

To celebrate the anniversary, NORAD has a host of events planned to run throughout the year starting with the Golden Jubilee Ball on May 12 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“The success of NORAD is due to the thousands of men and women over the past 50 years who dedicated themselves to the service of defending Canada and the United States,” said Mike Perini, NORAD’s spokesman, in a press release.