DECLASSIFIED UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE

INTERAGENCY SECURITY CLASSIFICATION APPEALS PANEL,

E.O. 13526, SECTION 5.3(b)(3)
[SCAP APPEAL NO. 2011-048, document no. 5
DECLASSIFICATION DATE: September 29, 2014
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3
UNCLASSIFIED
Commission Sensitive
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
Event: North Eastern Air Defense Sector (NEADS) field sitevisit
Type of event: Interview with Capt. SteveHedrick
Date: January 22, 2004
Special Access Issues: Clearance check
Prepared by: Geoffrey Brown
TeamNumber: 8
Location: Commander's Conference Room, Building 102
Participants - Non-Commission:
Participants -Commission: John Farmer, John Azzarello, Miles Kara, Geoffrey Brown
Note: Please refer totherecorded interview for further details.
On September 11, 2001 (9/11) Hedrick was anAir Weapons Officer (AWO) at
NEADS. Now heis aSenior Director for Weapons (SD Weapons).
An AWO is thedirect interface between NEADS operations andtheAir Defense
asset flight crews. Hedrick noted that theAWO isconsidered tohave his own direction
on assigning aflight themost effective vectors for anintercept, but thecommands by
which anAWO acts aregiven by theSenior Director (SD).
Hedrick was intheDelta Flight Officewhen thefirst report of ahijack was
received. Typically theSD puts thecontroller who is onthe first intercept onthe first
control consul (next tothe SD). Hedrick statedthat hewas probably placed at that desk.
Otis scramble:
Hedrick was assigned to control theOtis ANGB scramble of PANTA flight on
9/1l.
Hedrick noted that Major Fox directedhimtoprepare to control afighter
scramble fromOtis, andcontinued togiveHedrick direction astheevents progressed.
Hedrick's Weapon Director Technician was then Staff Sergeant (SSgt.), now Second Lt.
Bradley Garner. Hedrick noted that Garner iscurrently at Tyndall AFB for theAir
Weapons Officer School. TheAWO andtheWD interfaces with thetechnician, andthen
thetechnician serves as their interface with theFAA centers/entities.
Hedrick noted that when abasereceives ascramble order all theparties that arein
the scramble lineloopreceives information for thescrambled fighter heading. When the
fighters are"stabilized" (clear of civilian traffic), theFAA passes communication with
the fighters toHuntress.
Commission Sensitive
UNCLASSIFIED
4
UNCLASSIFIED
Commission Sensitive
Henrick noted that Otis Command Post, theOtis ANGB approach control, the.
Boston Center En Route Center andtheOtis ANGB Tower receives scramble notification
when Otis ANGB Air Defense assets arescrambled.
ROE and Transition:
Hedrick recalls that at somepoint that morning theauthority was passed to
NEADS to direct fighters to engageaspecific target if thetarget does was not respond to
"direction" fromNEADS. This direction waspassed tothefloor fromtheRegion
Commander. This conversation was captured ontheDRMl DAT2 Channel 2MCC Op
Sidelineat 2:02hours into thetape, which is approximately 10:02am.
Hedrick noted to Commission staff that theCurrent Authority dictates how aRule
of Engagement (ROE) is passed. TheROE canbe inmodes of Peacetime, Transition, or
WarTime. Hedrick noted that Current Authority is not something NEADS staff would
have trained to pass to apilot. Henoted that thedifferent Defcons all have certain ROEs,
andthis intermdictates what Current Authority level there IS. Hedrick acknowledged
that any change inDefcon is authenticated immediately with the fighters.
Henoted that themain changewhen aDefcon level changes is inwho has the
authority to declare atarget hostile. Hedrick noted to Commission staff that theorder on
9/11 fromthevice president regarding anon-responding aircraft is distinct anddifferent
fromthetransition inDefcon levels.
Commission Sensitive
UNCLASSIFIED