| Western Air Defense Sector | |
|---|---|
 Unit emblem | |
| Active | 1995–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Type | Joint bi-national unit |
| Role | Air defense command and control |
| Part of | Washington Air National Guard and First Air Force (Air Forces Northern) |
| Home base | McChord Air Force Base, Washington |
| Nickname(s) | "Bigfoot" |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Scott C. Humphrey |
The Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) is a unit of the Washington Air National Guard located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Tacoma, Washington.
As a state militia unit, the Western Air Defense Sector is not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command. It is under the jurisdiction of the Washington Air National Guard unless it is federalized by order of the President of the United States. It is operationally gained by Air Combat Command.
The WADS is one of two Sectors responsible to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the Continental NORAD Region for peacetime air sovereignty, strategic air defense, and airborne counter-drug operations in the continental United States. The other sector is the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS).
NORAD is a bi-national United States and Canadian organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America.
Other NORAD air defense organizations include the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS), the Hawaii Region Air Operations Center (HIRAOC), the Alaska Region Air Operations Center (AKRAOC) and the Canada Air Defense Sector (CADS).[1]
- ^ "North American Aerospace Defense Command". US Air Force. Retrieved 9 January 2010.