Story Archive

Santa Is Watching You

The Northern Aerospace Defense Command, commonly known as NORAD, has been tracking Santa’s journey around the world every Christmas for years. This year, however, there’s something new showing up with Santa: a fighter escort. According to NORAD spokesman Capt. Jeff A. Davis, adding the jets is “part of our effort to give the program more of an operational feel.” The various animations and videos highlight NORAD defensive operations in a light-hearted and fun way, he says. Intelligence watches for threats from Jack Frost and the Abominable Snowman, cyber operators watch for Grinch viruses, and the fighter escort is there to prevent Santa from straying into restricted air space and “to protect from threats.” Of course, not everyone is happy about the change. “Children associate Santa with gifts and fun and everything else that is positive about Christmas,” said Allen Kanner, cofounder of the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. “They are associating this with the military in children’s minds. It is completely out of line.” (MS/Boston Globe) ...If your kid wants a fighter jet for Christmas, just tell them they’ll put an eye out with it.