EADS Conducting Emergency Management Exercise July 25-28 Published July 25, 2011 By Tim Jones Eastern Air Defense Sector Rome, N.Y. -- The Eastern Air Defense Sector will conduct an emergency management exercise from Monday, July 25 through Thursday, July 28. Part of the Air Force's emergency management evaluation program, the exercise tests the unit's ability to respond to numerous situations, ranging from terrorist attacks to natural disasters. All exercise activities will take place within the enclosed facility at EADS and will not involve the public in any way. "The only way to prepare for emergencies is to train for them," said Col. John P. Bartholf, EADS Commander. "Our emergency management exercises provide the hands-on training our unit requires and, just as importantly, helps us identify and refine the most effective methods of dealing with these situations." The Eastern Air Defense Sector is headquartered at Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome. Staffed by active-duty New York Air National Guardsmen and a Canadian Forces detachment, the unit supports the North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) integrated warning and attack assessment missions and the U.S. Northern Command's (USNORTHCOM) homeland defense mission. EADS is responsible for air sovereignty and counter-air operations over the eastern United States and directs a variety of assets to defend one million square miles of land and sea.