In an interview with Defense One, Gen. David Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff, said his branch is preparing to put nuclear-armed B-52s back on 24-hour ready alert — a move not seen since the Cold War.
This got Countable thinking about the "Football" — the small briefcase whose contents allow the president to give orders to authorize a nuclear attack.
Here are some facts about the piece of luggage you never want to lose.
Commonly known as "The Football," its official name is the “president’s emergency response satchel”.
The Football is carried by military aides who always stay within a few feet of the president.
The Football is built around a sturdy aluminum frame encased in black leather.
Contrary to what movies have you believe, the Football doesn’t open up to reveal a big red button—its purpose is to confirm the identity of the president, and allow the commander in chief to communicate with the Pentagon’s National Military Command Center.
The 45-pound satchel contains four items: a top secret black book outlining response options; a booklet explaining the Emergency Alert System; a listing of classified locations throughout the U.S. where the president can safely go during or after a nuclear attack; and a card with authentication codes. (Bonus fact: President George W. Bush used the classified safe-location list during the 9/11 attacks).
The laminated authentication-code carried by the president at all times is nicknamed the "Biscuit".
The Football was "invented" in response to the concerns of President John F. Kennedy. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy posed the following two questions: “What would I say to the Joint War Room to launch an immediate nuclear strike?” and “How would the person who received my instructions verify them?”
JFK’s Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, said the Football got its name from an early nuclear war plan code-named "Dropkick." (As The Smithsonian explained: “‘Dropkick’ needed a ‘football’ in order to be put into effect.”)
The president has complete authority to order a nuclear attack, from the launch of a single missile to massive strikes from all elements of the nuclear triad: aircraft with atomic weapons, submarine-launched missiles, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMS).
—Josh Herman
Related Reading
- Fact Tuesday: Trump’s Tweets
- Fact Tuesday: IQ Tests
- Fact Tuesday: Puerto Rico & America
- Fact Tuesday: A Short History of Weed Laws
(Photo Credit: Stubborn3D / YouTube)
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