Opportunity

[Paul Rinaldo]

Gang, Here's something out of the ordinary. Paul

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - North American Aerospace Defense
Command is seeking general-public entries for its essay contest and
airplane model contest which are being conducted in celebration of the
command's 50th Anniversary. Both contests are open to any U.S. or
Canadian citizen currently residing in the Continental United States or
Canada. Final entries are due by April 22.

Winners of each contest will have an opportunity to attend the Golden
Jubilee Ball,

which will be held May 12 in Colorado Springs, Colo., and tour NORAD
facilities at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colo. The winning
essay will be printed in a souvenir booklet and presented at the Jubilee
Ball. The winning airplane model will be photographed and printed in the
souvenir booklet.

If the writer or model-maker is under 18 years old, the entry must be
sponsored by a parent or guardian. The sponsor must review and approve
the entry before it is submitted, and affirm the youth conducted the
research and writing for the essay or created the airplane model on his
or her own.

The essay contest will focus on stories individuals want to share about
NORAD and describe what the command means to them. Contestants will be
asked to identify one of the following themes as the focus of their
essays:

* People - NORAD is successful because of the men and women who
serve

* Partners - NORAD is a proud part of a network of organizations

* Canada-U.S. Relations - NORAD is a unique bi-national
institution

* Mission Evolution - NORAD is as valid today as it was 50 years
ago

* Modernization - NORAD uses its financial resources wisely and
leverages new technologies.

Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font,
one-side only and no more than 150 words. The 150-word limit excludes
the title page, and all pages should be numbered in the lower right-hand
corner and include the writer's name in the footnote. Essays should be
submitted to NORAD Public Affairs. Electronic submission should be in
Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format and e-mailed as an attachment to:
NORAD50 at norad.mil, with subject line noted as NORAD 50TH ESSAY CONTEST.
Hard copy submissions should be faxed to (719) 554-3165.

Airplane model contestants are asked to submit a paper model
of U.S. or Canadian NORAD aircraft. The models must be made out of paper
or cardstock. A variety of options are available for those who want to
participate. The contestants can design or create their own models,
visit NORAD's downloads page at
http://www.norad.mil/50/ModelDownloads.html for available models to use,
or visit a paper-modeling website for models that can be downloaded.

Submissions should be sent, along with a cover letter and signature, to
NORAD 50th Anniversary Team, NORAD Public Affairs, 250 Vandenberg St,
Ste. B016, Peterson AFB, CO 80914, USA.

For more details about the contest requirements, essay
format or airplane model criteria, visit
http://www.norad.mil/50/contests.html and view information noted in the
Public Contest section, or call NORAD Public Affairs at (719) 554-6889.

The NORAD 50th Anniversary celebration is an occasion to reflect on the
history of the command, honor the strong bi-national relationship
between Canada and the United States, pay tribute to the valor of the
men and women who serve, and to recognize the command's evolution in
response to new and changing threats to North America. For more details
about NORAD's 50th Anniversary, visit http://www.norad.mil/50.