PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.—Canadian Lt. Gen. Tom Lawson became deputy commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command in a ceremony Monday.
Lawson replaces Canadian Lt. Gen. Marcel Duval, who retired.
NORAD is a U.S.-Canadian command responsible for defending the skies over both countries. It also monitors sea traffic approaching nation’s shores. Its headquarters are at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
Duval had been deputy commander since July 2009. He was credited with helping organize security for the Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, and with developing plans for responding to stepped-up flights by Russian long-range bombers.
Lawson was previously assistant chief of the Canadian Forces Air Staff. He is the second new face among senior leadership of the North American Aerospace Defense Command this month.
U.S. Army Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr. became commander two weeks ago, replacing U.S. Adm. James Winnefeld, who became vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The U.S.-Canada agreement that established NORAD says that its commander and deputy commander cannot be from the same nation. The top commander has always been a U.S. officer, a NORAD spokesman said.
