AWACS are like flying ATCs, they usually support remote locations as an ATC where there is no vision on the sky. But also they were used in spotting drug running operations in the gulf.

There are not many of these planes and Tinker AFB usually only keeps a few for training a couple on these border/gulf operations, and the majority are deployed.

Its been years since I was in, but I never heard about a reason to send them north.