Gen. Ralph Eberhart

or the first time since George Washington took command of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775, a single military commander is in charge of homeland defense. He is Air Force Gen. Ralph "Ed" Eberhart, 57, who heads the U.S. Northern Command.

NORTHCOM was created in October 2002 to counter threats and stem aggression against the United States and to help civil authorities respond to attacks and natural disasters. It consolidates several organizations, including the Joint Task Force Civil Support, as well as the anti-drug activities formerly assigned to the Joint Forces Command. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), although not part of NORTHCOM, works closely with it and is under Eberhart's command.

Headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., NORTHCOM has a relatively small staff-about 650 civilian and uniformed personnel-and focuses on coordinating military activities with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (now part of the Homeland Security Department), other security organizations, and first responders at the state and local levels.

In general, the command acts only when a state governor requests help. In such cases, it can use military personnel from any or all of the armed services. The command has assisted with the recent wildfires in the West, hurricane response, Super Bowl security, and the search for the Washington-area sniper suspects in 2002. NORTHCOM also analyzes information, conducts joint training exercises, and practices how it will respond in the event of another airplane hijacking by terrorists.

The highly decorated Eberhart flew more than 300 combat missions in Vietnam after graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1968. He later commanded the 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing during Operation Desert Shield. Afterward, he worked at the Pentagon in a series of Air Force headquarters and Joint Staff assignments, culminating in a year as Air Force deputy chief of staff for plans and operations. In this role, he commanded all U.S. forces in Japan, and he then became Air Force vice chief of staff. Prior to becoming NORTHCOM commander, Eberhart headed NORAD and the U.S. Space Command, as well as Defense Department manned space flight operations.

Born in Nevada, Mo., Eberhart earned a master's degree in political science from Troy State University in Alabama.