The wildly popular NORAD Tracks Santa operation is on its 61st run at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Volunteers are answering phone calls and emails and posting updates about Santa's storybook world tour on Facebook and Twitter.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Paul Noel said 1,500 volunteers answered nearly 141,000 phone calls and more than 2,800 emails last year. The NORAD spokesman is quick to say his name really is Noel.

Children can call a toll-free number, 877-446-6723 (877-Hi-NORAD), or email noradtracksanta@outlook.com to ask where Santa is on his fabled journey.

Volunteers work in shifts, taking the last calls at 3 a.m. MST Christmas Day.

The volunteers sit elbow-to-elbow in conference rooms at Peterson Air Force Base, NORAD's home, answering phones and checking computer-generated maps projected onto big screens. First lady Michelle Obama traditionally answers calls via a remote hookup, but Noel said it was not yet known if she would participate this year.

Elsewhere at the Air Force base, volunteers update NORAD's website (www.noradsanta.org), Facebook page (facebook.com/noradsanta) and Twitter feed (@NoradSanta).

Last year, the website had 22 million unique visitors, Noel said.

AP