the air division chief at the national guard bureau wanted to find an innovative way to provide additional training for fighter pilots after their units were demobilized. at the same time, air defense command could not call upon sufficient active duty air force units to defend the continental united states against the soviet air threat. it was proposed to employ ang pilots full-time from "strategically placed" air national guard units to perform "air intercept missions" against unidentified aircraft entering united states air space. in addition they would "provide simulated fighter attacks against the strategic air command's nuclear-capable bombers."