According to a July 15 release from the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, the Air Force has directed the renaming of the New York Air National Guard’s Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS) to the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS). The change, said the release, reflects the sector’s expanded East Coast mission. “In November 2006, the sector assumed responsibility for providing air sovereignty over the entire East Coast of the US, which includes more than one million miles of airspace,” states the release. The sector that covers US airspace west of the Mississippi River is the Western Air Defense Sector. Col. John Bartholf, EADS commander, said, “We are extremely grateful to be officially renamed the Eastern Air Defense Sector because it truly reflects our area of responsibility.”
As the Air Force readied for its June 21-22 strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the service was also putting its Agile Combat Employment strategy into action, dispersing combat aircraft and Airmen from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in preparation for a possible Iranian retaliatory attack. Some defense experts say…
