OREANDA-NEWS. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. Gonzalez and federal and local safety and security officials at Miami International Airport hosted a briefing and tour of the airport for U.S. General Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM).

NORAD conducts aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning in the defense of North America, while USNORTHCOM partners with NORAD to conduct homeland defense, civil support and security cooperation to defend and secure the United States and its interests.  Both are headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.

“I greatly appreciate General Jacoby’s visit to our community’s top gateway for international trade and tourism,” said Mayor Gimenez.  “This visit helped to establish greater connections between the U.S. Department of Defense and our airport security team, as we continue to make security and safety our top priority at MIA.” General Jacoby first received a briefing from Director Gonzalez and officials with the Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Miami-Dade Police and Fire Rescue departments, followed by a tour of MIA’s airfield, LAN Airlines’ cargo facilities and the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic control tower.

“As the busiest U.S. airport for international freight and second busiest for international passengers, Miami International is definitely on the front lines of defense for our nation’s aerospace, whereas NORAD is our last line of defense,” said General Jacoby.  “It was valuable for me to see how the two levels intersect and support one another at one of our nation’s top points of entry.”

“I am very grateful that General Jacoby accepted my invitation to see how much of an asset MIA is to our country,” said Director Gonzalez. “As a former U.S. Army Colonel and now as MIA’s Director, I have a greater appreciation for the connections between our federal and local safety and security forces.”