The Eagles Soar Again Published Feb. 8, 2008 By Capt. Brooke Brander 33d Fighter Wing EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Four F-15Cs from the 60th Fighter Squadron conducted combat air patrols, guarding the skies over NASA's launch site by enforcing the temporary flight restriction zone established by the Federal Aviation Administration, and ensuring the shuttle and its crew were safe as they traveled into the outer atmosphere. The Atlantis launched at 2:45 pm EST with a seven-man crew. The Feb. 7 ONE mission conducted by the 60th FS comes less than one month after Air Combat Command cleared a portion of the F-15 A-D models to return to flying status and the first ONE mission flown by the 33d FW since its return to flying status Jan. 9. "We were ready," said Col. Todd Harmer, 33d FW commander. "The fighter squadrons have worked tirelessly to ensure our pilots will be ready when called on to protect our skies and support ONE at a moments notice." The Atlantis shuttle launch was the "favorite [ONE] mission so far" for Maj. Matt Nicholson, 60th FS instructor pilot. "What you see on TV doesn't do it justice," said the major about the launch. "I could actually see it for five minutes and I saw the rocket boosters come off the shuttle. Everybody just kind of went 'whoa' as we watched that bright star fade away." Major Nicholson has supported more than 15 ONE missions since Sept. 11, 2001. The shuttle launch was the first ONE shuttle support mission that he had been a part of. ONE is North American Aerospace Defense Command's air defense missions conducted since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. ONE provides air defense over the U.S. and Canada in order to prevent a future 9-11 type attack. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, NORAD fighters have responded to more than 2,100 possible air threats and controlled more than 48,000 air patrol sorties in support of ONE.