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NEADS Calls NORAD Public Affairs Officer

Started by Archangel, August 03, 2017, 09:10:28 PM

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Archangel

August 03, 2017, 09:10:28 PM




Don Arias
[Source: US Air Force]
Lt. Col. Dawne Deskins of NEADS twice calls Major Don Arias, the 1st Air Force and Continental United States NORAD Region public affairs officer, who is at the 1st Air Force public affairs office at Tyndall Air Force, Florida. She first calls him after NEADS is informed of the hijacking of Flight 11 (see (8:37 a.m.) September 11, 2001). She says that NEADS has "a hijacked plane—no, not the simulation—likely heading for JFK [International Airport in New York City]." [Newhouse News Service, 1/25/2002]

The "simulation" refers to a NORAD air defense exercise, presumably Vigilant Guardian, that Arias is involved in. Deskins informs him that fighters are going to be launched after the aircraft. Arias then starts working on a public statement about the incident, but soon after sees the smoking WTC tower on CNN. He says that he thinks, "Wow, I bet that's the hijacked plane." [Florida State Times, 11/2001; Airman, 9/2002; Filson, 2003, pp. 122]

Minutes after the crash, Deskins calls Arias again and tells him, "We think the aircraft that just hit the World Trade Center was American Airlines Flight 11." According to Deskins, Arias responds, "Oh, God. My brother works in the World Trade Center." [Newhouse News Service, 1/25/2002; ABC News, 9/11/2002; Bamford, 2004, pp. 13-14]

Arias will quickly contact his brother (see (8:53 a.m.) September 11, 2001).
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