posted on Jun, 12 2003 @ 01:17 PM
And some info from FAS.
The White House Communications Agency, consisting of personnel from the Defense Communications Agency, Defense Communications Support Unit and the
Defense Communications Operations United (this unit is responsible for communications and emergency power engineering) oversees the military unit in
charge of the Football. To work in these units, personnel must obtain a Yankee White security clearance. The criteria for this clearance include U.S.
citizenship, unquestionable loyalty, and an absolute absence of any foreign influence over the individual, his family, or "persons to whom the
individual is closely linked." The aide who carries the Football comes from the four military branches and are ranked Lt. Colonel, Naval Commander,
or Marine Major. They must be knowledgeable about all aspects of the overall Single Integrated Operational Plan, as well as the various options
available to the President for implementing the war plan.
SIOP strategic targeting involves four groups:
Russian Nuclear Forces Conventional Military Forces Military and Political Leadership Economic and Industrial targets The "Black Book" is said
to contain 75 pages of options, to be used against these four primary groups. The options are further divided into: Major Attack Options, (MAO's)
Selected Attack Options, (SAO's) Limited Attack Options (LAO's) The SIOP also allows the President to select Regional Nuclear Options (RNO's) for
use against enemy forces leading a conventional attack against US forces. These plans allow the President to execute the SIOP during an attack. He may
decide to activate Launch on Warning (LOW) or Launch under Attack (LUA) plans in the event an actual nuclear attack.
The National Security Agency is in charge of distributing the daily Gold Codes to the White House, Pentagon, STRATCOM and the TACAMO aircraft. Use of
the Gold Code constitutes and order to execute the SIOP by the National Command Authority (NCA). The National Command Authority consists of the
President, the Secretary of Defense, or their duly deputized alternates and successors.