Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      NORAD Tracks Santa Program record-breaking success in 2013Published Dec. 27, 2013
            **PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) --**The North American Aerospace Defense Command’s NORAD Tracks Santa Program exceeded its own records in the number of calls, emails and social media followers this year, command officials announced.
The program, which began after a misprinted ad in a local paper in 1955, has more than 1,200 volunteers and NORAD staff answering queries on the location of Santa Claus as he circles the globe delivering presents.
The volunteers in the 23-hour NTS operations center answered 117,371 calls from children looking for Santa Claus, an increase of nearly 3 percent from 2012. Military family members and community leaders volunteered their time to answer phone calls as well as 9,606 emails, exceeding last year’s count. The first lady, Michelle Obama, also helped answer NORAD Tracks Santa calls for the fourth year in a row.
The NTS website, www.noradsanta.org, had 19.58 million unique visitors access the site from 234 countries and territories across the globe. The Facebook page topped 1.45 million “Likes,” and the NTS Google+ page had 41,676 fans. More than 146,307 people also followed Santa’s progress on Twitter. Nearly 800 OnStar subscribers asked OnStar operators to locate Santa on Dec. 24, which is nearly 150 percent more than last year. The NTS site, featuring Bing and Cesium maps and other interactive games, also offered photos, videos and fun facts about Santa and his reindeer throughout the month of December.
“Throughout the year the men and women of NORAD work hard to provide aerospace security for North America, but for this one night every year, we are able to help bring the magic of Christmas to children around the world,” said Capt. Jeff Davis, the director of public affairs at NORAD. “We at NORAD are honored to be a part of so many peoples’ holiday traditions. Thank you to our many volunteers and corporate contributors for making this program possible, and we look forward to doing it again next year.”*(Courtesy of North American Aerospace Defense Command Public Affairs)*Santa tracker 



NORAD 



NORAD tracks Santa Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                Kendall, Allvin, Saltzman urge modernization while warning Senate of delayed budgets
                    
                    Readout of Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s travel to the Philippines
                    
                    Air Force senior leaders visit Eielson AFB
                    
                    Air Force leaders focus on ACE during Kadena AB visit
                    
                    USAF senior leaders visit Mariana Islands on ACE tripInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Cope Tiger concludes in Thailand
                    
                    Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil