September 11, 2001 Research & Archives

Major General Larry Arnold, the commander of the Continental United States NORAD Region (CONR), learns of the possible hijacking of Flight 11 after leaving a video teleconference, but initially thinks the reported hijacking is part of a NORAD training exercise. [Filson, 2002; Code One Magazine, 1/2002]

Arnold, who is at CONR headquarters, at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, has been in the video teleconferencing room, participating in a teleconference with other senior NORAD officials (see (8:30 a.m.-8:40 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 2/2/2004 pdf file; Spencer, 2008, pp. 31]

Colonel Robert Marr, the battle commander at NORAD's Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS), recently tried phoning Arnold to get authorization to scramble fighter jets in response to the hijacked Flight 11, but no one at CONR interrupted the teleconference to fetch Arnold, and so Marr left an urgent message for the CONR commander (see (8:38 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 20; Spencer, 2008, pp. 31]

Note Informs Arnold of Hijacking - Arnold is now in the video teleconferencing room with Robert Del Toro, an intelligence officer with the 1st Air Force, discussing the just-concluded teleconference, when his executive officer, Kelley Duckett, hands him a note with Marr's message on it. The note says the FAA's Boston Center is reporting a hijacking and requesting assistance with it, and asks that Arnold phone Marr back immediately. [Filson, 2002; 9/11 Commission, 5/23/2003; 9/11 Commission, 2/2/2004 pdf file; 9/11 Commission, 2/3/2004 pdf file]

Arnold Thinks Hijacking Is 'Part of the Exercise' - NORAD is currently in the middle of a major training exercise called Vigilant Guardian. [Code One Magazine, 1/2002; Arkin, 2005, pp. 545] Arnold will later say that, as a result, when he learns of the possible hijacking: "The first thing that went through my mind was: 'Is this part of the exercise? Is this some kind of a screw-up?'" [ABC News, 9/11/2002]

According to author Lynn Spencer, "Even as NORAD's commander for the continental United States, Arnold is not privy to everything concerning the exercise." The exercise "is meant to test commanders also, to make sure that their war machine is operating as it should."

Arnold Told Hijacking Is 'Real-World' - Since a simulated hijacking is scheduled as part of the day's exercise (see (9:40 a.m.) September 11, 2001), Arnold asks Duckett, "Is this part of the exercise?" Duckett replies that the hijacking is real-world. [Spencer, 2008, pp. 38]

Arnold will say that "understanding this is real-world is obviously important, so I rushed downstairs to our battle staff position." [Filson, 2002]

It occurs to Arnold that it has been many years since NORAD handled a hijacking (see February 11, 1993). He is relieved that, "because we were in the middle of an exercise," he recently reviewed the protocol for what to do in response to a hijacking, and so "we were pretty well familiar with those procedures." [9/11 Commission, 5/23/2003; Spencer, 2008, pp. 38]

Arnold will promptly phone Marr and instruct him to go ahead and scramble fighters in response to the hijacking (see (8:42 a.m.) September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 20; Spencer, 2008, pp. 38-39]