Sector Renamed to Reflect East Coast Mission Published Sept. 3, 2009 By Brooke Davis Eastern Air Defense Sector Rome, N.Y. -- In an official order from the Department of the Air Force, the Northeast Air Defense Sector was renamed the Eastern Air Defense Sector July 15. In November 2006, the Sector assumed responsibility for providing air sovereignty over the entire east coast of the U.S., which includes more than one million square miles of air space. "We are extremely grateful to be officially renamed the Eastern Air Defense Sector because it truly reflects our area of responsibility," said Col. John Bartholf, EADS commander. "Ensuring the air sovereignty of the eastern coast of the nation is something that everyone here works tremendously hard to accomplish." There are now two air defense sectors in the Continental United States, or CONUS. The Western Air Defense Sector provides air sovereignty over air space west of the Mississippi. For the federal air defense mission, both sectors report to First Air Force at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. EADS is a joint, bi-national organization currently manned by New York Air National Guardsmen, Active Duty U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard; Canadian Forces, federal civil servants and civilian contractor personnel. The unit employs approximately 400 personnel. The overall unit mission at EADS is to provide air sovereignty and execute counter-air operations over the eastern United States in support of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command Homeland Defense Missions.