Personnel
250 Secret Service assistants
150 National Security Advisors
50 White House Administrative Inspectors
15 canine sniffing teams
200 representatives from other departments
Master chef and 4-person chef's team kit
Two identical Boeing 747-200 and another licensed jet
Sikorsky Sea King Helicopters
Black and white. p>two identical Boeing 747-200s and another charter jet
sikorsky Sea King helicopters
Black Hawk helicopters
20 luxury armored minivans, two of which are identical.
When the U.S. president's bodyguard has to go through layers of screening
Since the secret service organization that defends the U.S. president, the Treasury Department's Secret Service, was established 137 years ago, the president's bodyguard has left an impression of loyalty, integrity, and bravery on the American public, and they have made their presence known, all of them as handsome and skilled as Agent 007. So, what talent can enter the Secret Service, for the President of the United States as a bodyguard?
The President is the U.S. Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the three armed forces, the President's security has always been the center of gravity of the U.S. national security work, the U.S. authorities on the President's bodyguard requirements are extremely high, the recruitment of personnel in exceptionally strict conditions. Secret Service candidates must be between the ages of 21 to 35 years of age of U.S. citizens; candidates in addition to their own health, physical fitness, their family must be no history of mental illness and other genetic diseases; they must be intellectually extraordinary, with a university degree and bachelor's degree, and studied psychology, criminology and public order management and other courses. Currently, half of the Secret Service's agents come from the military as lieutenants, colonels or veterans, and the other half are from police departments or college graduates.
The Secret Service's selection process for candidates is also quite complex. First, one person talks to the applicants, which is effectively a preliminary selection process. Then a four-person panel conducts an interview, and the candidate has to answer about 40 questions posed by the panel. This is mainly to test whether the applicant's facial features, behavior and demeanor is appropriate, whether the quick thinking, responsive, articulate and organized. Those who pass the interview will also have to take a written test, which is mainly to test their written expression ability, calculation and reasoning ability, observation and memory. Thereafter, they also have to undergo a physical examination and a sports test. These checks all qualified people, the Secret Service will also be examined with a polygraph, if this check is also passed, the applicant will have to accept a six-month comprehensive examination, repeated verification of its character, faith, hobbies, personality, etc., but also to its family, classmates, coworkers, supervisors, teachers, friends and childhood friends to investigate and verify, if not found in this six-month period of time, and the performance is really Good, loyal to the United States, from no criminal record, physical ability, IQ and family background are good, was awarded a badge and letter of appointment, is considered to be really hired by the Secret Service.
People who enter the agency also undergo a rigorous 20-week training program that includes physical fitness, water survival and scene control. They must develop a high mountain, can go down to the deep sea skills; in a variety of complex terrain and special environments can drive a car, and can jump up and down on the moving car; on a variety of advanced weapons to be able to use; but also to learn fire prevention, anti-narcotics, to remove a variety of explosives, fighting and grappling kung fu and "diplomatic etiquette"; Understand the "mass phenomenon" and "mob mentality", and be able to "solve problems with wit and courage". Agents must also be skilled in "walking skills", that is, to protect the president to move smoothly in the crowd.
The U.S. Secret Service has a bodyguard training center on about 500 acres of land in Beltway, a remote village in Maryland. The center is surrounded by a high barbed wire fence and contains a large forest. Agents who come here for training lead a strictly militarized life; on the one hand, they undergo more than a year of scrutiny, which includes being subjected to polygraphs and drug tests. On the other hand, they are expected to become proficient in a variety of security skills. For example, they have to learn to drive a sedan at high speeds and be able to make sharp turns on the narrowest roads as fast as possible, and it is claimed that the sedan of every outgoing president is sent here for the trainees to use. They must learn proficiency in the use of a wide range of weapons, especially in the use of 9mm semi-automatic pistols, the specialized weapons of the secret service, as well as machine guns and sub-machine guns. This is in a sense an armory of cutting-edge U.S. weaponry, and the agents must not only learn to use new types of weapons, but also acquire the skills to design special weapons according to their needs. In order to enable the agents to master the skills of defending the President in various emergencies, the training center uses modern teaching equipment to make instructional films on major murders of dignitaries around the world, such as shootings, explosions, ambushes, cold weapons, and car crashes, which are repeatedly analyzed by experts to the trainees to see how they can draw lessons from these accidents. In particular, the teachers repeatedly played to the trainees Kennedy assassination scene documentary, so that the trainees of Kennedy's brains splattered bloody scenes engraved in their hearts, so that a deep appreciation of the hatred of criminals and their own responsibility. In addition, the Secret Service also makes full use of the three bodyguard training centers of the Secret Service of the State Department, so that trainees can learn new knowledge, new techniques and the ability to cope with new challenges. Some private bodyguard schools in the United States are also places to train high-quality bodyguards for the Secret Service, such as former U.S. President Reagan's bodyguards from the private Richard Advanced Bodyguard Training School.
Agents in the training center to learn a skill, but not necessarily when the presidential bodyguard, in nearly 3,000 agents, only a selected part of the talent to serve in the presidential special security team. Practical experience is crucial for the agents. They must have seven to nine years of experience in the field before they are rotated around Washington for defense. In order to understand the mindset of criminals, they travel to prisons that specialize in holding suspected murderers every year to meet and talk with inmates in order to "know their enemy". The president's bodyguards in the work must also be practiced to send a deterrent force of the eyes and a set of daunting face, this trick for them, like a helmet as useful. The president's bodyguards must also develop the habit of being wary of anyone, and have the virtue of keeping their mouths shut and the political attitude of supremacy, which is the conclusion drawn from the lessons of blood. When Kennedy was assassinated, he was surrounded by strong bodyguards, but the bodyguards on the Kennedy primary election victory, and the crowd cheered together and a moment of relaxed vigilance, so that criminals have the opportunity to take advantage of. The bodyguards' mantra was: "If he [the president] meets with an accident while I'm on duty, it's over. His life is my life."
Over the course of U.S. history, agents have often risked their lives in defense of the president, and have been instrumental in keeping the U.S. president safe. They have impressed the American public as brave, brilliant and patriotic. Indeed, with their wit, fearlessness, and even blood and life, they have fulfilled their solemn and proud oath: "To live up to the trust and confidence."
The American public will not forget that there have been 11 assassinations among the 43 presidents of the United States, seven of which were by agents who sacrificed their lives to have a brush with death. For the president's personal bodyguards, the president's absolute security above all, "his life is my life" this sentence not only in their hearts and minds have made a deep imprint, and everywhere in their actions. There are several examples of their implementation of the oath of portraits.
Truman was president, he was on vacation in the Florida Keys, especially like to swim in the sea, every time the sea has two bodyguards a far a close to protect him. Close to his bodyguard attention to prevent him from drowning, far from staying on his outside by the sea side, concentrating on the water with or without the intrusion of uninvited guests. Once, Truman was swimming in the sea, the bodyguard who was far away from him suddenly noticed a ferocious predatory fish swimming from the side toward the president, only a few yards away from the president. The bodyguard was afraid to call out for fear that it would attack the president if alarmed. Without hesitation, the bodyguard swam between the president and the piranha, whispering to the president to get out of the way while remaining motionless in the water, watching the fish's movements, which fortunately was also quietly watching him. Only when the president was quickly brought ashore under the escort of another bodyguard did he swim slowly to the shore and quickly escape from the sea. Afterward, the bodyguard said, "I had often wondered if I could really put my own body between the president and his attacker when the moment of crisis came. Before that, I honestly couldn't be sure; now, I am certain that I will do so, and for that I am happy and relieved."
When the assassins Taurissola and Correzzo worked together to assassinate President Truman, the bodyguards fought tooth and nail to keep the president out of harm's way, engaging the killers in a gunfight that left the two bodyguards seriously wounded and bodyguard Lailis Koffaldt giving his life. It was Special Agent Rufus Youngblood who covered the President with his body as Oswald shot at President Lyndon Johnson. The people of the United States will not forget that on March 30, 1981, after President Reagan had concluded his address to 4,000 members of the Building Trades Union at the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., when the maniac John Hinckley, hiding in a crowd of journalists outside the door, opened fire on President Reagan, Special Agent Jerry Pahl covered President Reagan with his body, and Dennis McCarthy immediately swooped in to stop the murderer's bullets from being fired at the President, and captured alive this madman alive. These heroic images show the world that every agent of the Presidential Guard is the last means of defense and barrier to protect the President.
In addition to providing the head of state with impenetrable close protection in times of crisis, the bodyguards must also be meticulously vigilant against anything that might jeopardize the president's safety. For example, President Eisenhower suffers from heart disease, once he visited Afghanistan was invited to visit a site, due to the high altitude of Afghanistan, visit the site and must climb 24 steps, Eisenhower ascended to the top of the mountain fainted, is at a loss, do not know where to get oxygen cylinders, for the president to drive the bodyguard immediately handed over an oxygen cylinder, so that the president turned to safety. It turned out that the bodyguard, based on the president's physical condition and the local geography, carried the heavy oxygen cylinder up the mountain without a word of warning.
When accompanying the president out, the bodyguards have to be quick on their feet, lest the president himself accidentally stumbled and fell. Once, President Ford in New York Schubert Theater after viewing the play, as usual to go backstage to make polite pleasantries. Many people in the backstage shuttle like walking back and forth is fine, but Ford stepped on a huge black cloth, who knows that the black cloth is a 7-foot-deep stage below the special equipment --- pit. When it was too late, it was too soon, only to see the personal bodyguard Marty Cavin an arrow step rushed up to grab the president's belt, desperately lifted up, the president who was falling pulled up, only to avoid a disaster. And Marty Kavan was too hard, suit and shirt are disintegrated out of shape. Afterward, he said it was no surprise that he endured a bit of sacrifice when he had the rare opportunity to serve such a sympathetic head of state, "and I'm not the only one among the agents who thinks that way."
The hardships of the U.S. presidential bodyguards
The bodyguards of the U.S. president can play the "presidential" brand name in the country unimpeded, many privileges. In the eyes of the U.S. public, they are a formidable force to be reckoned with, but the dangers and hardships they face are known only to themselves.
Every bodyguard of the President of the United States is very clear that their careers are related to the life and death of the world's most powerful people, if the President was assassinated, they have an unshirkable responsibility. Therefore, from the moment they became the presidential bodyguard, the psychological pressure borne by the almost unspeakable. Dao high feet, the devil high ten feet, with the presidential bodyguards of defense weapons constantly updated, want to murder the president of the United States terrorists used by the weapons and means more varied. Once, to conspire to kill President Clinton's three men used the murder weapon, is actually a can shoot out of the botulinum toxin and anthrax impregnated cactus thorns lighter. In order to guard against all kinds of terrorists and these strange weapons of destruction against the president, the bodyguards all the time to tighten every nerve.
The bodyguards' bodies are in a state of extreme fatigue while they are undergoing unspeakable mental stress. As the bodyguards' tasks are increasing, while the Secret Service's old people are retiring and newcomers are seeing things differently, manpower constraints are everywhere. Especially after the "9-11" incident, the agents must often sacrifice the rest day, overtime work, many people have felt exhausted. Agents are concerned that when they are defending the President's security, excessive fatigue and depression may cause a momentary lapse in their work, which would have immeasurable consequences for the President or other targets of protection. The Secret Service and experts on the subject believe those fears are not unreasonable.
"Air Force One"
The world's most expensive "Air Force One" has a U.S. flag printed on the tail, and U.S. Air Force markings and initials on the wings. From the outside, the fuselage is painted silver, blue and white, with a Stars and Stripes on the tail, and a presidential symbol on the lower right side of the front hatch: a clawed olive branch and 13 arrows of the Bald Eagle (the U.S. national emblem), surrounded by the words "President of the United States of America".
"Air Force One" built with today's most advanced computers, communications, medical equipment, almost like the White House and the Pentagon in miniature. The President of the United States can not only office in the aircraft, but also enjoy the convenience of home-like life. Bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining room and so on, fully equipped.
The president has a fairly private and spacious compartment. He and the First Lady have a sitting room with a folding sofa bed, wooden cabinets, leather chair covers, shag carpet, and motorized curtains. There is also a bathroom with a shower, a large mirror, a basin, an electric shaving table and a modern flush toilet. Next door to the living room is the presidential office, which consists of a log table and leather-covered chairs. A blue quartz clock hangs on the wall, including the times for the continental United States, Washington, D.C., and arrival points.
The jet also has a very modern medical center. Inside, there are three first-class-sized seats, two berths, a sink, a refrigerator to keep blood and medicines cold and a cabinet full of medical equipment, as well as a collapsible surgical table with highly sensitive lighting. All of the equipment in the medical center is completely up-to-date and state-of-the-art, so that in case of any emergency, it can provide immediate first aid and is even more modern than a typical hospital emergency room.
There is also a studio with the latest video equipment, projector screens, map hangers, and any other necessary amenities for a conference room. At the ornate dining table, a thick slab of wooden construction is set into the tabletop, hiding underneath a number of wires with recording equipment and a system that snaps at any time to ensure secure communications and clear telephone conversations.
The jet includes two areas that function as kitchens, both with microwaves, ovens and more. Of course, for safety on the plane, these devices are specially designed not to pose a danger. The airplane is fully equipped, and everything the White House staff does on the ground, they can do in the air as well. The most interesting thing is that the TV screen inside the plane can receive programs from all over the world. Moreover, there is such a TV set in every compartment. If you want to watch any program, you just need to pick up the phone next to your seat and notify the relevant person to watch the program.
The interior of the presidential jet contains 87 telephones, 10 computers, a photocopier large enough to supply a law firm, a fax machine, and 57 antennas, two for each seat. The white telephones are for general use, while the beige telephones are a noise-filtering discriminating voice communication system with extremely clear telephone sound. In the Upper House cabin, there was a person in charge of these external communication operations. A wall of electronic equipment operates the complex communications network of the entire airplane. Simply pick up the phone next to your seat and the operator will answer immediately. These telecommunication devices can quickly reach around the world to anyone you want to talk to, including the fact that even if you don't have the other person's phone number at hand, the operator will go out of his way to check for you to get through.
Performance of "Air Force One"
The current US President George W. Bush's "Air Force One" is a Boeing 747-200B, numbered VC-25A, with a speed of 900 kilometers/hour, an altitude of 10,000 meters and an endurance of more than 10,000 kilometers. It has a range of more than 10,000 kilometers. The aircraft from August 1990 officially put into use. Previously, the U.S. President traveled than the "Boeing 747" is much smaller than the "Boeing 707" The "Air Force One" called "air flight of the White House "Air Force One is the White House of the air, and that's an understatement. It is in a state of readiness for takeoff 24 hours a day; 18 crew members and the most sophisticated instruments, so that it can be at any time, anywhere and the White House for the closest contact; all the services required by the President, it can provide. It can be said that U.S. Air Force One is the most sophisticated and destructive aircraft in the world.
The current use of the two Boeing 747-200B "Air Force One" special aircraft is President Reagan ordered by the Boeing Company, manufacturing, they were delivered in 1991, the cost of 410 million U.S. dollars. The new Boeing 747-200 is for the President's personal use. Since September 2001 alone, the plane has flown more than 170,000 kilometers with the President of the United States. The plane is six stories high, can carry 25 staff members, is as spacious as a regular airliner that seats 75 passengers, and can carry about 2,000 meals on a single takeoff. The cabin is about 1,000 square meters, with plenty of room to walk back and forth, sleep, stretch out and take meals, exactly like a fancy office. In the event of a military emergency, this "Air Force One" will be immediately protected by electromagnetic radar equipment, all cables will be stopped immediately. In addition, a special, unrecognizable ground-type metal screen will cover all the windows, so that the aircraft itself can not be easily detected and traced. The plane also has the ability to be refueled in the air, allowing it to continue flying without having to land on the ground to refuel. Air Force One can take the president anywhere he wants to go and give him the best service possible.
The U.S. has made too many enemies in the world, and the president of the United States has become a prime target of international terrorism. As a result, Air Force One has arguably the most advanced anti-missile system in the world. Air defense personnel sitting in front of the workstation equipped with a variety of electronic displays and screens, can monitor all the space around the aircraft. Once a missile attack is detected, they immediately activate several sets of electronic jamming systems to induce the missile to change direction, thus ensuring the safety of "Air Force One". In addition, when "Air Force One" landed on the runway taxiing, the president and members of the delegation could observe the scene of welcoming crowds at the airport through satellite television. Once the plane is parked, it can serve as a communications command center for the president and his delegation.
Usually, before the president boards the plane, the security services always send a team of personnel to check and mark the plane's fuel in case of sabotage. Another team checks the runway, and if there is any danger to the president as he boards or disembarks, these people will immediately fire their weapons. In addition, every time "Air Force One" takes off, there is another plane that takes off first, often carrying the president's luxury bulletproof limousine and a large pile of light weapons and ammunition. Of course, every time the president goes out, there will always be a military officer to help him carry the famous "suitcase", through the suitcase button device, the president can be in the U.S. suddenly encountered an attack on the order of launching nuclear bombs to fight back.
"Air Force One" is in fact two lovebirds, such as the flight code "Angel" number 26000, a 27000. as long as the main engine carrying the president flew to where, the standby secondary aircraft will follow to where. If the host mechanical failure, the president can always switch to the backup aircraft. When the President of the United States travels abroad, he is accompanied by at least one other National Intelligence Agency communications aircraft, the purpose of which is to monitor the airwaves for possible incoming missiles. In addition, there are two presidential helicopters, a number of "Hercules" military transport aircraft, as well as 10 bulletproof cars accompany. The Lincoln-branded premium bulletproof cars cost more than $500,000 each.
Air Force One
Length: 70.4 meters, as long as a city street.
Height: 19.4 meters, taller than a five-story building. Space: 371.6 square meters of interior space.
Weight: over 400 tons.
Air surface: the total area of space inside the aircraft is 4,000 square meters. The main cabin has a surface of 370 square meters, with a hall that can be used as a conference room as well as a dining room. The president and first lady have their own dedicated rooms.
Speed: up to 1014 kilometers per hour.
Pilot: To be a pilot of Air Force One, you must have at least 2,000 hours of worldwide flight experience and a flawless record.
Safety: With an impeccable safety record, it is considered by Americans to be the safest airplane in the world.
Seating: Usually journalists sit at the back of the cabin and the president's entourage sits in front. The more important the position, the closer to the president they sit.
Wingmen: There are virtually always two presidential jets, both named "Air Force One" and numbered together.
Airfield: Andrews Air Force Base, 16 kilometers from the White House.
DEFENSE: It is a fully customized aircraft with highly classified defense systems, including anti-missile systems.
COMMUNICATIONS: there are 87 different telephone lines on board, 28 of which are tapped-proof, with unlimited range.
Memorabilia: there are many things on board bearing the presidential insignia, including seat belts, pillows, blankets, teacups, bath towels, napkins and razors