Situation Room

White House Situation Room in March 2003.

The White House Situation Room is a 5,000 square foot conference and intelligence management center in the basement of the West Wing of the White House. It is run by the National Security Council staff for the use of the President of the United States and his advisors (including Homeland Security and the White House chief of staff) to monitor and deal with crises at home and abroad and to conduct secure communications with outside (often overseas) persons. The Situation Room is equipped with secure, advanced communications equipment for the President to maintain command and control of U.S. forces around the world. It should not be confused with the Presidential Emergency Operations Center which is situated under the East Wing.

Origin and staff

The Situation Room was created in 1962 by President Kennedy after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion was attributed to a lack of real-time information. The room has secure communications systems built into it and the walls contain wood panels that hide different audio, video and other systems. The room also has three different digital clocks that display the time in Washington, D.C. and two other geographic locations, often the sites of sensitive current political or other types of events.

The Situation Room is staffed by a number of senior officers from various agencies in the Intelligence Community and senior military officers. These individuals stand watch on a 24-hour basis, constantly monitoring world events and keeping senior White House staff apprised of significant events.

2006 renovation

In mid-2006, the White House began renovating the Situation Room [1][2], stripping it completely and enlarging it southward under the earthen berm that screens the White House swimming pool. Flat video screens and more reliable communications were added. Procedures and technology were installed to prevent unauthorized cell phone calls and text messaging. Privacy booths allow secure authorized calls. The Watch Center was rearranged, with tiered seating providing better views of the monitors and easier coordination among the staff. Additional video conference rooms were also created in the new floor space. The area was scheduled to reopen before the new year, 2007.

The Situation Room in fiction

Drama in the White House Situation Room figures into many movies and television shows with The West Wing being a notable example. Sometimes, it is depicted as a kind of bunker, which it is not, and usually is depicted as much larger and more technologically advanced than the previous design of the real room. Whether or not the redesign that took place in 2006 resembles the images on TV remains to be seen although it is possible that no pictures of the room will ever emerge.

Further reading

• Bohn, Michael. Nerve Center: Inside the White House Situation Room. Potomac Books, 2004.

References

• New York Times article on 2006 renovation, with pictures
• Washington Post article on 2006 renovation
• AOL News article on 2006 renovation, with pictures

External links

• White House Museum: West Wing ground floor, with floor plan and historical images