Larry Arnold

Larry Arnold (pilot, officer)
Alma mater	Wake Forest University, Auburn University, Air Command and Staff College, Air War College, Kennedy School of Government
Interests	Vigilant Guardian
NORAD Commander Major General who on 9/11 "failed" to scramble fighters in a timely manner, allegedly due to the exercise Vigilant Guardian  Commander Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region In office 1997 - October 1, 2002 Employer NORAD On 9/11

Major General Larry K. Arnold is a US officer. On 9/11 he was NORAD Commander Major General where he failed to scramble fighters in a timely manner, allegedly due to the exercise Vigilant Guardian/

Before 911, NORAD regularly launched fighter jets in response to suspicious aircraft, with fighters able to take off within minutes of a scramble order. History Commons describes how:

New timeline entries also examine in detail the actions on September 11 of two key NORAD officials: Robert Marr, the battle commander at NORAD's Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS), and Larry Arnold, the commander of the Continental United States NORAD Region (CONR). After these two men spoke over the phone about the day's exercise, Arnold joined a teleconference with other NORAD officials. This, however, meant he was unavailable when Marr tried calling him to get authorization to launch fighters in response to the hijacked Flight 11. After leaving the teleconference, Arnold learned of Marr's call but wondered if the report of a hijacking was part of the exercise. Arnold soon called Marr back and told him to go ahead and launch fighters in response to the hijacking.
Arnold then called the NORAD operations center about the hijacking and the request for fighters. However, when operations center personnel saw television reports about the first crash at the World Trade Center, minutes later, they did not realize it involved the hijacked plane they'd just been alerted to. The operations center was in fact in an "information void" during the course of the attacks, according to officers there that day. It was also receiving many reports of hijackings from the FAA that turned out to be incorrect.

He has used 9-11 to push militarization of USA.

Career

He received his commission in 1965 through Officer Training School. Following undergraduate pilot training, he was stationed at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam. In 1973 he separated from active duty and joined the 177th Fighter Interceptor Group of the New Jersey Air National Guard.

In 1988 he was assigned as commander of the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group of the Texas Air National Guard.

He was commander, 1st Air Force, Air Combat Command, and commander, Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, yndall Air Force Base, Florida. The 1st Air Force is responsible for organizing, equipping and operating air defense forces for the commander in chief of binational NORAD. He is responsible for more than 10,000 people at 19 fighter alert sites and 50 radar sites to provide tactical warning, threat assessment and counterdrug forces for the North American continent.

In the year after 911, he was "designated the commander of all military aircraft involved in restoring control of America’s skies, and over the next year, his Command flew over 25,000 sorties, in executing Operation Noble Eagle.".

He retired from the United States Air Force on October 1, 2002.

He became a consultant to the Defense Industry, as President of The Arnold Group, LLC and a senior partner in Professional and Defense Technologies, LLC.

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