In any event, thanks for your long years of service at NORAD. I can only imagine the stories you could tell about what it was like to be in the mountain at the height of the cold war.

All of the Missile Warning and Air Defense mission computers are still inside the Mountain. All of the high speed and survivable data circuits from all of Air Force Space Command’s Missile Warning Radars and the space based infra-red (missile launch detection) satellite systems still come into Cheyenne Mountain like they have for decades.

All of the data circuits from NORAD’s Air Defense Regions still come into the Mountain like they have for decades.

All of the data circuits from all of Air Force Space Command’s Space Surveillance Network still come into the Mountain just like they have for decades.

The mission computers still process all of the data and output the appropriate data to NORAD and US Strategic Command’s (STRATCOM) forward users.

The only thing that has changed is that earlier this year, the Commander of NORAD and Northern Command (NORTHCOM) moved his NORAD Command Center and Air Defense Center crew personnel to a new command center in the basement of the NORAD/NORTHCOM Headquarters building on Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs. They installed workstations that are connected to the mission computers in Cheyenne Mountain. STRATCOM’s Missile Warning Center is still in the Mountain.

Cheyenne Mountain is still America’s Underground Fortress. Yes, a direct hit by a nuke will make a big crater. The bad guys have been able to do that for years. But when the mountain does a “button-up” (extra personnel and close the blast doors) it’s chem/Bio/Rad (CBR) filters truly turns this place into a Fortress.

BTW the mountain’s job of alerting our National Command Authorities of a missile attack will have been accomplished long before the missiles from the bad guys get here.

I just wanted to make sure you were aware that the mountain is not just window-dressing.

BTW I have never seen the Stargate sign anywhere in Cheyenne Mountain.

Secular Jeff

Looking forward to a DC reading event!

– Joel

@ Meesh: no pix. but you can check some out here:

http://io9.com/5034540/deep-inside-norad-with-only-a-felt+tip-pen-and-twenty-science-fiction-writers

were you allowed to take pictures?

i got in trouble on the navy base in norfolk for taking pictures of the submarines. it was near the start of the war when i was there so maybe everyone was extra sensitive.

so cool!!!