[5] Moving to Langley Field, Virginia, in July 1940, Norstad was adjutant of the 25th Bomb Group, and the following November he was named assistant chief of staff for intelligence of General Headquarters Air Force there.

In February 1942 he was appointed a member of the Advisory Council to the commanding general of the Army Air Forces at Washington, DC.

Tibbets also claimed that Norstad was a "social climber" and political animal in the Air Force and that he aligned himself tightly with Hoyt Vandenberg and followed him up the chain of command.

[8] In February 1943, he was promoted to brigadier general and assumed the additional duty of assistant chief of staff for operations of the Northwest African Air Forces.

In December 1943 he was appointed director of operations of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces at Algiers, moving with it to Caserta, Italy, two months later.

Norstad initially encouraged France to develop its own nuclear capacity, but then abandoned the idea once he grew disillusioned with French President Charles de Gaulle's interference with NATO.

After his military retirement, he became the Chief Executive Officer and President of Owens Corning from 1963 until 1972 and also served on the Board of Directors of Rand Corporation.